Effects of cryopreservation on contractile properties of porcine isolated aortic valve leaflets and aortic wall. 
Human semilunar donor heart valves can be stored in banks, awaiting transplantation.  To evaluate the result of the preservation protocols, a quantitative description of the tissue is necessary.  In this study we investigated in a quantitative way the contractile properties of fresh and cryopreserved porcine isolated aortic heart valve leaflets in response to a number of endogenous vasoactive compounds.  The responses of strips of the aortic wall were included for comparison.  Contraction was measured isometrically in response to potassium (K+; 100 mmol/L), 5-hydroxytryptamine (1 nmol/L to 100 micromol/L), noradrenaline (1 nmol/L to 100 micromol/L), endothelin-1 (0.01 nmol/L to 0.3 micromol/L), and prostaglandin F(2alpha) (0.1 nmol/L to 10 micromol/L).  The pharmacologic parameters E(MAX) (the maximal response expressed as a percentage of contraction to a 100 mmol/L dose of K+) and EC50 (the concentration that produces 50% of the maximal effect) were calculated for every compound (n = 6 to 7 each).  We observed that all specimens contracted in response to potassium.  Its magnitude in fresh leaflets equaled 1.6 +/- 0.14 mN compared with 26.6 +/- 2.6 mN in fresh aortic wall.  Noradrenaline, endothelin-1, and prostaglandin F(2alpha) all caused contraction in valvular leaflets and aortic wall, whereas 5-hydroxytryptamine caused contraction in the valvular leaflets but relaxation in aortic wall.  After cryopreservation, the response to K+ amounted to 24% of the response of the fresh specimens in valvular leaflets (n = 25) and 14% in aortic wall (n = 26).  The values of E(MAX) and EC50 of the responses to noradrenaline, endothelin-1, and prostaglandin F(2alpha) remained unchanged.  Although the physiologic relevance of contraction of valvular leaflets needs further study, its measurement may provide an additional model to verify the consequences of alternative methods of preservation.