title: An albumin-coated polyester arterial graft: in vivo assessment of biocompatibility and healing characteristics.
abstract: The albumin-coated vascular graft (ACG) and its uncoated polyester substrate, the Vascular II (V-II), were evaluated in terms of biocompatibility and biofunctionality using two in vivo animal studies. Biocompatibility and immunoreactivity were assessed by implanting intraperitoneally in the rat small segments of the ACG and the V-II graft and harvesting them with their surrounding tissue 3d, 1, 2 and 4 weeks later. Cytofluorometric determination of total T cells (CD3), the ratio of CD4/CD8 subsets and the percentage of IL-2 receptor-positive T cells in the peripheral blood has revealed that no significant difference in any of the T cell populations was found between the ACG and the V-II graft. The cellular reactivity of the ACG in terms of acid phosphatase activity at the implant side was significantly greater at 3 d but not at longer periods. Biofunctionality was evaluated by implanting both grafts as a thoracoabdominal vascular bypass in dogs for 11 different periods ranging from 4 h to 6 months. The rate of albumin resorption was such that traces were still present at 1 month, but no longer observable at 2 months. Tissue incorporation into the graft wall was earlier for the V-II (2 weeks) than for the ACG (4 weeks), which showed complete encapsulation, tissue incorporation and endothelialization after 2 months in vivo. Only small differences were observed between both grafts in terms of platelet and fibrin uptake on the luminal surface. The prostacyclin/thromboxane A2 ratio increased to a level higher that 1.0 aorta within 1 month for the V-II and 4 months for the ACG. In conclusion, the Bard ACG has demonstrated excellent biocompatibility in terms of blood T cell behaviour and acid phosphatase activity at the implant site. Finally, its healing response is equivalent to that of the uncoated Dacron prosthesis once the albumin coating has been resorbed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medicine and Pathology, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Marois
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chakfé
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guidoin
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Duhamel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marois
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Douville
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000418:Albumins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000792:Angiography; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000592:standards*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D004285:Dogs; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005976:Glutaral / Q000737:chemistry; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010537:Peritoneum; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D013928:Thromboxane A2; D005340:Fibrinogen; D011464:Epoprostenol; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D005976:Glutaral