Long-term preservation of fresh viable aortic valve homografts by freezing

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Abstract
A method of long-term storage of fresh homograft heart valves in liquid nitrogen (−195 °C) is described. The object is to preserve them in a viable state with unchanged structure. Five groups of valves were studied. Viability before and after freezing was assessed quantitatively by the use of autoradiography. Mitotic activity of the fibroblasts declined at a very slow rate in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, in which the valves were stored at +4 °C in a nutrient/antibiotic solution for periods between 24 hours and up to 6 weeks before freezing. The percentage of metabolically active fibroblasts declined more rapidly in valves from group 5, in which the valves had been stored for 8 weeks at +4 °C before freezing.
Funding Information
  • Board of Governors of the National Heart and London Chest Hospitals