Heparin Immobilized Small Intestinal Submucosa for Cardiovascular Applications

A novel chemical modification of biological tissue was developed by the immobilization of heparin to small intestinal submucosa (SIS) using glutaraldehyde (GA). Heparinized SIS tissue was characterized by measuring in vitro plasma protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, in vitro fibroblast attachment, and in vivo calcification. Lower protein adsorption and platelet adhesion were observed on heparinized SIS than non-modified SIS. The attachment of human dermal fibroblast on the heparinized SIS was significantly increased, and the amount of calcium deposited on the modified SIS was much less than fresh SIS. These results demonstrated that heparin immobilized SIS can be applied as a novel bioprosthesis for a variety of cardiovascular applications.