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Low immunogenicity and high repopulation capacity are crucial determinants for the functional and structural performance of acellular cardiovascular implants. The present study evaluates a detergent-free, non-proteolytic, actin-disassembling regimen (BIO) for decellularization of heart valve and vessel grafts, particularly focusing on their bio-functionality. Rat aortic conduits (rAoC; n = 89) and porcine aortic valve samples (n = 106) are decellularized using detergents (group DET) or the BIO regimen. BIO decellularization results in effective elimination of cellular proteins and significantly improves removal of DNA as compared with group DET, while the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure as well as mechanical properties are preserved. The architecture of rAoC in group BIO allows for improved bio-functionalization with fibronectin (FN) in a standardized rat implantation model: BIO treatment significantly increases speed and amount of autologous medial cellular repopulation in vivo (p < 0.001) and decreases the formation of hyperplastic intima (p < 0.001) as compared with FN-coated DET-decellularized grafts. Moreover, there are no signs of infiltration with inflammatory cells. The present biological, detergent-free, non-proteolytic regimen balances effective decellularization and ECM preservation in cardiovascular grafts, and provides optimized bio-functionality. Additionally, this study implies that the actin-disassembling regimen may be a promising approach for bioengineering of acellular scaffolds from other muscular tissues, as for example myocardium or intestine. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The presented here technique is developed for in vitro estimation of the influence of external con ditions on the deformation ability of human red blood cells. The method is based on the use of single beam laser trap for capturing of erythrocytes fixed to the bottom of the liquid cell by the adhesion force. The approach is suitable for evaluation of the properties of individual cells as well as for real time acquisition of the data on ensemble of erythrocytes large enough for subsequent statistical analysis. It is shown that both a change in the saline solution concentration and presence of certain stabilizing agents lead to measurable shift of the maximum of the cells distribution by their deformability.

Abstract. The object of study were human teeth with caries cavities and healthy teeth extracted for orthopaedic indications. The main method of study was Raman spectroscopy. We revealed the specific features of Raman spectra for the healthy tooth tissues impaired ones and the tissues affected by caries. The optical criteria are established that allow cares detection and assessment, as well as the detection of precaries impairment of the tooth tissues. The results were analysed in comparison with the data of the chemical analysis performed using a raster electron microscope.