Quantitative Analyses of Vitrified Autologous Venous Arterial Bypass Graft Explants

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare vitrified small diameter venous arterial bypass graft explants with fresh graft controls using quantitative morphometrics and smooth muscle physiology. Fresh and vitrified reversed ipsilateral external jugular veins were used as autologous common carotid interposition bypass grafts on the right side in New Zealand White rabbits. Animals were sacrificed at either 2 or 4 weeks after implantation, and the vein grafts were harvested for study. Histology revealed that the vitrified grafts initially arteriolized more slowly than untreated grafts and that they caught up by 4 weeks postimplantation. Histomorphometrics revealed that the intimal area was less in vitrified grafts at 2 weeks (p = 0.007) and that the luminal area was less in vitrified grafts at 4 weeks (p = 0.002). All other morphometric parameters were not significantly different. Smooth muscle physiology demonstrated a tendency for the responses of vitrified grafts to be lower than controls, not statistically...