The Effect of Immersion Agents on the Weight and Geometric Parameters of Myocardial Tissue in Vitro

Abstract

Abstract—The effect of 40%-glucose solution and 60%-glycerol solution on the weight and geometric parameters of the myocardium was studied in vitro in order to improve the accuracy of estimating the glucose and glycerol diffusion coefficients in the myocardium by including changes in the geometry and water content of a tissue sample in a mathematical algorithm. The temporal kinetics of the weight, thickness, area, and volume were measured using porcine myocardium samples during their immersion in 60%-glycerol solution or 40%-glucose solution in vitro. All parameters started to decrease immediately after placing myocardium samples in immersion agents (tissue shrinkage). The weight and geometric parameters of the sample then increased gradually (tissue swelling), leading to tissue saturation in almost all cases. By approximating the temporal kinetics, the degree of dehydration and the characteristic times of transverse and longitudinal shrinkage and swelling of the myocardium were determined. More significant and rapid dehydration of myocardial tissue was observed case of using 60%-glycerol solution, while a stronger and faster swelling of the myocardium was observed when 40%-glucose solution was applied.