Abstract
Pathological calcification is included in disorders such as arteriosclerosis, circulatory failure of the heart valves, and renal failure and many studies have been performed to elucidate the development mechanism of pathological calcification. In this study, it has been carried out the observation of pathological calcification using simulated body fluid (SBF) under biomimetic approach. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanism of calcification in biological tissues. The porcine heart, aortic valve and small intestine were used in this study. The solutions for this study were prepared to suspend those specimens such as SBF pH 7.4, pH 5.0, supplemented with Mg, supplemented with CO3, porcine serum (PS) and saline solution. The specimens were suspended and were kept at 37 °C in an incubator. After 7 and 14 days, they were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope detector (EDS). The deposits that had crystal-like structure were observed in SEM from those specimens after 7 days, and some of them showed high peak of calcium and phosphate by EDS. They were roughly classified into five types based on the shape. This study suggested that calcified deposits on biological tissue in vitro in this biomimetic approach were affected with physicochemical factors such as Mg, CO3 and pH. This biomimetic approach would contribute to understand the mechanism of pathological calcification. Moreover, it showed that calcified deposit could be formed in vitro without cell involvement in the solution.
