In vitro assessment of decellularized matrix for the cardiac tissue engineering application

The study focuses on analyzing the biological interaction of the serous and fibrous sides of the decellularized caprine pericardium (DCP) and the valvular interstitial cells (VIC). The in vitro calcification potential of DCP was investigated by simulating the calcification process by incubating the VIC with a calcium and phosphate induction medium. Histological examination shows effective removal of cells with intact extracellular matrix histoarchitecture. The decellularizing chemicals, sodium dodecyl sulfate and Triton X-100, are toxic to VIC. Incorporating washing stages into the decellularization procedure makes DCP non-toxic and biocompatible. Both the serous and fibrous sides of DCP support cell adhesion with higher cell infiltration from the fibrous side. The atomic absorption spectroscopy and alizarin red staining confirm the combination of calcium and phosphate has a critical role in the accelerated calcification of DCP. Thus, xenogenic DCP scaffolds may improve the applicability of cardiac tissue engineering applications.