[Experimental study on constructing small-caliber artery by tissue engineering approach].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possibility of constructing small-caliber artery by means of tissue engineering.


METHODS
Cell-PGA mixtures were made by separately seeding 1 x 10(7) smooth muscle cells and 5 x 10(6) endothelial cells isolated from neonate umbilicus onto PGA scaffold, the cell-PGA constructs were wrapped around a silicone tube before its implantation subcutaneously to nude mice and the mice were sacrificed in 2 and 6 weeks. The tissue engineered artery (TEA) were examined both grossly and immunohistochemically.


RESULTS
The gross appearance of TEA was similar to that of the natural counterparts; histologic and immunohistochemical analyses of the neoformed tissues revealed a typical artery structure, including the presence of EC at the luminal surface and the presence of SMC and collagen in the wall.


CONCLUSIONS
TEA with histology similar to natural vessel can be constructed by tissue engineering.
Liu
Yang
Y
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Tissue Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200011, China.
Zhang
Yan-zhong
YZ
Chen
Jin-jun
JJ
Yin
De-min
DM
Cao
Ying
Y
Xu
Zhi-cheng
ZC
Liu
Wei
W
Cui
Lei
L
Cao
Yi-lin
YL
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*