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Volume 18, Issue 3 (2026)

page 25
Biocompatibility Assessment of a Hybrid Material Based on Epoxy-Treated Pericardium and Polyvinyl Alcohol Cryogel in a Rat Vascular and Subcutaneous Implantation Model
Biocompatibility Assessment of a Hybrid Material Based on Epoxy-Treated Pericardium and Polyvinyl Alcohol Cryogel in a Rat Vascular and Subcutaneous Implantation Model

Ovcharenko E.A., Glushkova T.V., Senokosova E.A., Klyshnikov K.Yu., Akentieva T.N., Klyueva A.A., Mironov A.V., Kostyunin A.E.

Key words: bioprosthetic heart valves; structural valve degeneration; epoxy-treated bovine pericardium; polyvinyl alcohol; biocompatibility; rat model; hybrid material.

2026, Volume 18, Issue 3, page 25
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17691/stm2026.18.3.03
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  • Abstract
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The aim of the study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of a hybrid material based on epoxy-treated bovine pericardium and cryostructured polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) after implantation into the rat aortic wall and subcutaneous tissue.

Materials and Methods. The study evaluated hybrid material patches based on epoxy-treated bovine pericardium and cryostructured PVA; unmodified “KemPeriplasNeo” pericardial patches served as controls. The samples were implanted into the abdominal aortic wall and subcutaneously in male Wistar rats. The vascular implantation periods were 5 and 20 days, and the subcutaneous implantation periods were 60 and 120 days. The specimens were excised from the aorta and studied histologically using Russell–Movat staining and immunostaining for neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the macrophage marker CD68. The calcium content in subcutaneously implanted samples was assessed by spectrophotometry and alizarin red S staining. The quantitative data were presented as the median, percentiles, minimal and maximal values (Me [25%–75%; min–max]).

Results. After implantation into the abdominal aortic wall, the hybrid material samples showed a lower tendency toward thrombotic deposit formation on the surface compared to the pericardium. On day 5 of implantation, the thrombus thickness was 49.1 [34.7–64.6; 27.4–71.6] μm in the experimental group vs 170.3 [158.1–210.3; 124.4–217.0] μm in the controls (p<0.001). By day 20 of implantation, the macrophage density was lower in the peri-implant area of the modified samples compared to the controls: 219 [187–275; 112–362] vs 301 [244–338; 194–433] CD68+ cells per field of view (p<0.001), respectively. The neutrophil density at all experimental time points, as well as the macrophage density on day 5 of implantation did not differ significantly between the tested materials (p>0.17). No signs of calcification were detected in either group following the subcutaneous implantation over a period of 60 or 120 days. The control pericardium in the subcutaneous model showed the signs of cell-mediated degradation, whereas the hybrid samples were resistant to immune-cell infiltration and preserved their internal architecture.

Conclusion. The modification of epoxy-treated bovine pericardium with cryostructured PVA cryogel improved its biocompatibility and enhanced resistance to biodegradation in a rat model after aortic-wall and subcutaneous implantation. The developed material may be used to create next-generation heart valve bioprostheses with potentially improved resistance to structural valve degeneration.

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Ovcharenko E.A., Glushkova T.V., Senokosova E.A., Klyshnikov K.Yu., Akentieva T.N., Klyueva A.A., Mironov A.V., Kostyunin A.E. Biocompatibility assessment of a hybrid material based on epoxy-treated pericardium and polyvinyl alcohol cryogel in a rat vascular and subcutaneous implantation model. Sovremennye tehnologii v medicine 2026; 18(3): 25, https://doi.org/10.17691/ stm2026.18.3.03