Abstract
Recently, the preservation of the homologous valve has been necessary for the use of the aortic or mitral valve transplantstion. The experimental orthotopic transplantation of the aortic valve was difficult technically, and so we used preliminarily the aortic homograft in stead of the homograft valvc.
The methods of the preservation of the aortic homograft were as follows : The thoracic aorta of dog was removed clean but not sterile.
The aortic homograft was treated by (1) storage in 10% glycerol or dimethyl sulfoxide solution at -80°C after immersion in 50 mg/ml aminobenzyl penicillin solution for 12 hours, (2) preservation in desiccator after freezing and drying followed by incubation in 1 % β-propiolactone at 37°C for 12 hours and (3) a sterilization with ethylene oxide gas at 40°C for 8 hours after freezing and drying.
From the physical points of view, there was no significant difference among the fresh aortae, the aortae stored in the 10% glycerol solution and the dry froozen aortae with-out immersion in 1 % β-propiolsctone. The aorta stored in the 10% glycerol solution was better than the other stored homograft.
In the microscopic findings, the aortae preserved in any ways showed various changes, but the aorta stored in 10% DMSO and in 10% glycerol solution could be considered satisfactory.
In the experimental homotransplantation, the results of the fresh patchgrafts were better than the preserved grafts, at 2 weeks after operation but similar to the preserved grafts at months.
