Preservation of Muscular and Elastic Artery Distensibility After an Intercontinental Cryoconserved Exchange: Theoretical Advances in Arterial Homograft Generation and Utilization *Daniel Bia, †José M. Atienza, ‡Fernando Salvucci, *Yanina Zócalo, †Francisco J. Rojo, †Claudio García-Herrera, †Els Claes, *Héctor Pérez, ‡Damián Craiem, *Sebastián Lluberas, §Daniel Fernández, ¶Sebastián Laza, †Gustavo V. Guinea, and *‡Ricardo L. Armentano *Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Republic University, Montevideo, Uruguay; †Department of Materials Science, Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; ‡Faculty of Engineering, and Natural and Exact Sciences, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departments of §Histology; and ¶Anatomy, School of Medicine, Republic University, Montevideo, Uruguay Abstract: While the situation of tissue donation and trans- plantation differs between Latin American and European countries, a common problem is tissue deficiency. Hence, at present, there is a pressing need to generate alternatives so as to increase the possibilities of obtaining the requested materials. Consequently, it would be of significant in- terest to establish an intercontinental network for tissue exchange, to improve international cooperation, and to help patients that need tissue transplantation, and to evalu- ate the feasibility of using an intercontinental network for the exchange of cryopreserved arteries (cryografts), pre- serving the arterial distensibility and ensuring a reduced native artery–cryograft biomechanical mismatch. Disten- sibility was studied in ovine arteries divided into three groups: intact (in vivo tests, conscious animals), fresh control (in vitro tests immediately after the artery excision, Uruguay), and cryografts (in vitro tests of cryopreserved- transported-defrosted arteries, Spain). Histological studies were performed so as to analyze changes in the endothelial layer and elastic components. The comparison between fresh control and cryografts showed that neither the cryo- preservation nor the exchange network impaired the dis- tensibility, despite the expected histological changes found in the cryografts.The comparison between intact and cryo- grafts showed that the cryografts would be capable of ensuring a reduced biomechanical mismatch. The cryo- preservation and the intercontinental network designed for artery exchange preserved the arterial distensibility. It doi:10.1111/j.1525-1594.2009.00781.x Received April 2008; revised August 2008. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Prof. Daniel Bia Santana, Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Repub- lic University, General Flores 2125, PC 11800, Montevideo, República Oriental del Uruguay. E-mail: dbia@fmed.edu.uy THOUGHTS AND PROGRESS 662 Artif Organs,Vol. 33, No. 8, 2009