Design and fabrication of decellularization system for porcine pericardium for tissue regeneration

Abstract

The objective of the study is to determine the optimal rate of decellularization on porcine pericardial tissues using different surfactants of varying concentrations while preserving the extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold. In this project, porcine pericardium samples were collected from the local abattoir. Next, they were cleaned and rinsed thoroughly with disinfectant agent before soaking in Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS) and Triton X-100 (TX) separately with varying concentrations of 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 1.0% w/vol. After the decellularization procedure, results were characterized by 1) tensile properties, 2) histology analysis and 3) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) quantification. Through histology study, scanning electron microscopy and DNA quantification, lower concentrations of SDS and TX were not able to decellularize the pericardium completely. The results showed that at higher SDS concentrations, the pericardium can reach complete decellularization, however the major ECM structure was disrupted. On the other hand, the ECM was preserved well for pericardium treated with higher concentrations of TX nevertheless still not able to achieve full decellularization. An optimum concentration of TX within 1.0% to 2.0% w/v should be carried out for further studies. The tensile properties of the decellularized pericardium in SDS decrease significantly while for TX, the tensile properties do not defer much when compared to the control. Increasing SDS concentration enhances the decellularization process however it has negative effects on the ECM structure and mechanical properties of the pericardium. TX is less destructive than SDS as it retains the ECM structure over time and conserves the mechanical properties however it should be at an optimal range to achieve complete decellularization.