Microvascular repair with 1-mm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts: effect of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) on the patency rate and healing process.
The present study assesses the effect of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) on the patency rate and healing process of microvascular polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts. Wistar rats were used, divided into four groups of 25 animals each. After dissection of the carotid artery a segment of the vessel, 1 cm long, was resected and replaced by equal length graft. Two different type fibril length (30- or 60-microm) grafts of the same wall thickness (0.18 mm) were used. Normal saline or 3 mg/kg of body weight of rt-PA was applied locally in each group of different fibril length grafts. Patency tests were performed at 15 min and 4 weeks after blood flow was reestablished. All grafts were harvested and examined histologically. The results showed that local application of rt-PA improves patency statistically significantly in both types of fibril length grafts. Patency in 60-microm fibril length grafts was statistically significantly higher than that of 30-microm fibril length grafts, whether rt-PA was used or not. The use of rt-PA had no influence on the healing process of either type of graft.
Lykoudis
E G
EG
Department of Plastic Surgery, Microsurgery and Burns Center, General State Hospital of Athens G. Gennimatas, Athens, Greece.
Papalois
A E
AE
Gravvanis
A I
AI
Frangia
K B
KB
Stamatopoulos
C N
CN
Ioannovich
J D
JD
D000818:Animals; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000187:drug effects*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator