Effects of treatment protocols and subcutaneous implantation on bovine pericardium: a Raman spectroscopy study

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Using Raman microspectroscopy, we have studied mineral deposition on bovine pericardia, fixed according to three different protocols and either implanted subcutaneously or not implanted (controls). A lightly carbonated apatitic phosphate mineral, similar to that found in bone tissue, was deposited on the surface of a glutaraldehyde-fixed, implanted pericardium. Implanted pericardia fixed in glutaraldehyde followed by treatment in either an 80% ethanol or a 5% octanol/40% ethanol solution did not mineralize on implantation. Collagen secondary structure changes were observed on glutaraldehyde fixation by monitoring the center of gravity of the amide I envelope. It is proposed that the decrease in the amide I center of gravity frequency for the glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue compared to the nonfixed tissue is due to an increase in nonreducible collagen cross-links (1660 cm−1) and a decrease in reducible cross-links (1690 cm−1). The amide I center of gravity in the glutaraldehyde/ethanol-fixed pericardium was higher than the glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue center of gravity. This increase in center of gravity could possibly be due to a decrease in hydrogen bonding within the collagen fibrils following the ethanol pretreatment. In addition, we found a secondary structure change to the pericardial collagen after implantation: an increase in the frequency of the center of gravity of amide I is indicative of an increase in cross-links. © 2003 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.