Assessment of the mechanics of a tissue-engineered rat trachea in an image-processing environment

• Published in: Clinics (São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 69; no. 7; pp. 500 - 503
• Main Authors: da Silva, Thiago Henrique Gomes, Pazetti, Rogerio, Aoki, Fabio Gava, Cardoso, Paulo Francisco Guerreiro, Valenga, Marcelo Henrique, Deffune, Elenice, Evaristo, Thaiane, Pêgo-Fernandes, Paulo Manuel, Moriya, Henrique Takachi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Elsevier España, S.L.U 01.07.2014; Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina / USP; Elsevier España
• Subjects: Animals; Glucose; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Instrumentation; Medical Illustration; MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; Pressure; Rapid Communication; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats, Wistar; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Respiratory Mechanics; Tissue Engineering - instrumentation; Tissue Engineering - methods; Trachea; Trachea - anatomy & histology; Trachea - transplantation; Tromethamine; Ventilators, Mechanical; Instrumentation; Trachea; Respiratory Mechanics
• ISSN: 1807-5932; 1980-5322; 1980-5322
• DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2014(07)11

Despite the recent success regarding the transplantation of tissue-engineered airways, the mechanical properties of these grafts are not well understood. Mechanical assessment of a tissue-engineered airway graft before implantation may be used in the future as a predictor of function. The aim of this preliminary work was to develop a noninvasive image-processing environment for the assessment of airway mechanics. Decellularized, recellularized and normal tracheas (groups DECEL, RECEL, and CONTROL, respectively) immersed in Krebs-Henseleit solution were ventilated by a small-animal ventilator connected to a Fleisch pneumotachograph and two pressure transducers (differential and gauge). A camera connected to a stereomicroscope captured images of the pulsation of the trachea before instillation of saline solution and after instillation of Krebs-Henseleit solution, followed by instillation with Krebs-Henseleit with methacholine 0.1 M (protocols A, K and KMCh, respectively). The data were post-processed with computer software and statistical comparisons between groups and protocols were performed. There were statistically significant variations in the image measurements of the medial region of the trachea between the groups (two-way analysis of variance [ANOVA], p<0.01) and of the proximal region between the groups and protocols (two-way ANOVA, p<0.01). The technique developed in this study is an innovative method for performing a mechanical assessment of engineered tracheal grafts that will enable evaluation of the viscoelastic properties of neo-tracheas prior to transplantation.