Dihydromyricetin enhances the anti-calcification performance of glutaraldehyde-cross-linked bovine pericardial valve materials by stabilizing elastin

Abstract At present, most biological valves used for clinical application are created using glutaraldehyde (GLUT) cross-linked animal pericardia or aortic valve materials. Since GLUT cannot cross-link with elastin, which would be further degraded and absorbed by the body after being implanted into the body, structural damage and calcification of biological valves can occur. In this study, we proposed a new elastin cross-linking agent, dihydromyricetin (DMY). We evaluated the characteristics of DMY in different treatment groups and in rat animal models. Using circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy, we confirmed that DMY can cross-link with elastin and then enhances its anti-elastase hydrolysis ability with the bovine pericardium (BP) and internal mammary artery (IMA). The subcutaneous implantation of young rats confirmed that the addition of DMY on samples reduced the calcification degree of GLUT cross-linked BP by nearly 40%, and the implanted pericardial elastin component remained stable after 8 weeks. In summary, DMY can fix the components of BP elastin without affecting the mechanical strength of GLUT-cross-linked valve materials, proving that it is a safe and stable elastin cross-linking agent.