FIG. 1.

Coronary artery vessel system after in toto heart decellularization. The extracellular matrix (ECM) skeleton of the coronary artery vessel system of the in toto decellularized hearts remains intact and patent despite coronary perfusion-based decellularization. (A) Representative macroscopic image of an in toto decellularized rat heart through automated software-controlled coronary perfusion. (B) Retrograde aortic perfusion with epoxide resin and subsequent desiccation of an in toto decellularized rat heart shows a patent and intact coronary artery vessel system with uniform perfusion reaching into the capillary system. (C) and (D) represent H&E and Movat staining, respectively, of an in toto decellularized heart showing endothelium-free vessels (*) with open lumina and intact vascular bed. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tec