IN VIVO BIO-COMPATIBILITY DETERMINATION OF CROSSLINKED AS WELL AS UNCROSS LINKED NATIVE AND ACELLULAR PERICARDIUM OF BUFFALO

Decellularization and cross-linking approach minimize the host immune response to the bioprosthetic tissue. The present study was carried out to evaluate the in-vivo biocompatibility of native and acellular scaffolds, using 0.6% Glutaraldeyde (GA) and 0.5% Hexamethylene discarnate (HMDC) as crosslinking agents. Thirty six adult New Zealand white rabbits of either sex were utilized for in-vivo biocompatibility evaluation. The native, acellular and crosslinked (GA & HMDC) buffalo pericardial tissue were implanted each in two pouches created on either side of the vertebral column. These implants were retrieved back on days 15, 30, 60 and 90, post implantation for macroscopic and microscopic observations. Our results demonstrated that macroscopic study of implanted matrix at day 90 was quite deeply seated below fibrous connective tissue and was difficult to separate from the host tissue as compared to days 60, 30 and 15. The inflammatory reaction was observed subsided at day 90 and the graft was organized with deposition of neo-collagen and neovasalarization in microscopic study as compared to 60 and 30 days. The results indicated that the biocompatibility of acellular and HMDC crosslinked pericardium was better than native as well as GA cross linked acellular pericardial matrices.