Influence of Tissue Technology on Pannus Formation on Bioprosthetic Heart Valves.

Purpose: Bioprosthetic heart valves have several modes of failure. Tissue degeneration and calcification are the major modes of failure with the highest focus of attention, however pannus formation can also be problematic. We studied the effect of a new tissue technology with the absence of any glutaraldehyde-based storage solution and a stable aldehyde capping process on pannus formation.

The association of bound aldehyde content with bioprosthetic tissue calcification.

The rapid progression of mineralization seen in glutaraldehyde-treated valves has prompted a wide variety of secondary treatments aimed at mitigating dystrophic calcification. We tested the hypothesis that aldehyde residuals bound to bioprosthetic tissue is a significant promoter of calcification. We developed a novel assay to measure residual aldehyde functional groups and assessed aldehyde content in three different groups: glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue (Glut-only), Edwards ThermaFix™ treated tissue and Edwards RESILIA™ tissue.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligand rosiglitazone delays the onset of inflammatory bowel disease in mice with interleukin 10 deficiency.

Aims: To test whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligand rosiglitazone (Ro) has therapeutic activity in the IL-10(-/-) mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and to identify the cellular targets and molecular mechanisms of Ro action.

Methods: The progression of spontaneous chronic colitis in IL-10(-/-) mice was compared in 5-week-old mice fed a standard diet with or without Ro for 12 weeks. The possible therapeutic effect of Ro was also tested over a 6-week interval in older IL-10(-/-) mice with established IBD.