Comparison of Different Thawing Protocols in Human Cryopreserved Venous Grafts

Autor: Pavel Měřička, Jan Hrubý, Dáša Slížová, Otakar Krs, Libor Janousek, Rudolf Špunda, Barbora Honegrová, Jaroslav Lindner, Aleš Benda, I. Matia, Miroslav Špaček, Markéta Dalecká
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Annals of Vascular Surgery. 64:347-354
ISSN: 0890-5096
DOI: 10.1016/j.avsg.2019.11.026
Popis: Background The aim of our study was to assess the impact of different thawing protocols on morphological changes arising in cryopreserved human saphenous vein grafts. Methods The study was performed in 12 saphenous vein grafts harvested in brain death donors. Storage in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen for 3 or 5 years followed. Two thawing protocols were tested: slow thawing in a refrigerator at temperature +4°C for 2 hr and rapid thawing–in a water bath at +37°C. Grafts were processed for scanning electron microscopy. Comparisons of continuous parameters under study between experimental groups were performed using the t-test (age, cold ischemia time, exposure to cryoprotectant, time of storage, total thawing time, mean thawing rate, morphology scoring of thawed HSVG) and the median test (HSVG length). Categorical parameters (sex and blood group) were formally tested using the chi-square test. Results All samples were evaluated according to morphological changes and scored in terms of morphologically intact endothelium, confluent endothelium with structural inhomogeneity, disruption of the intercellular contacts, separation of the endothelial cells, complete loss of the endothelium, and damage of the subendothelial layers. There is no statistically significant difference between the sample sets at the significance level of 0.05. There was no association with donors’ age, sex, and time of storage. Conclusions Human cryopreserved saphenous vein grafts in our experimental work showed no difference in terms of structural deterioration of the endothelial surface and basal membrane depending on different thawing protocols used.
Databáze: OpenAIRE