A novel in-vitro model of human aortic valve mineralization

Background and aim of the study: The study aim was to develop an in-vitro model of human aortic valve homograft (AVH) mineralization, as a basis for further research on the subject of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). Methods: Human aortic valves were excised during autopsy (12-24 h post-mortem) from donors who had died due to accident or suicide. The mean \left ( \pm SD \right ) donor age was \left ( 32.5\pm 11.4 \right ) years. Under sterile conditions each aortic cusp (three cusps per valve) was cut in half to provide a total of 240 tissue samples. AVH mineralization was assessed in solutions with different Ca and P concentrations and Ca x PO_{4} ionic product values. The impact of time on aortic valve mineralization rate was assessed using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF). Results: The model showed that human AVH mineralization can be best observed in a solution with a Ca x PO_{4} ionic product of 2.2 mmol^{2}/l^{2}. The optimum incubation time for observing AVH mineralization was 21 days. Conclusion: A novel in-vitro AVH mineralization model was developed for use in future studies.