Tissue-engineered vascular grafts composed of marine collagen and PLGA fibers using pulsatile perfusion bioreactors.
Novel tubular scaffolds of marine source collagen and PLGA fibers were fabricated by freeze drying and electrospinning processes for vascular grafts. The hybrid scaffolds, composed of a porous collagen matrix and a fibrous PLGA layer, had an average pore size of 150+/-50 microm. The electrospun fibrous PLGA layer on the surface of a porous tubular collagen scaffold improved the mechanical strength of the collagen scaffolds in both the dry and wet states. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs)- and endothelial cells (ECs)-cultured collagen/PLGA scaffolds exhibited mechanical properties similar to collagen/PLGA scaffolds unseeded with cells, even after culturing for 23 days. The effect of a mechanical stimulation on the proliferation and phenotype of SMCs and ECs, cultured on collagen/PLGA scaffolds, was evaluated. The pulsatile perfusion system enhanced the SMCs and ECs proliferation. In addition, a significant cell alignment in a direction radial to the distending direction was observed in tissues exposed to radial distention, which is similar to the phenomenon of native vessel tissues in vivo. On the other hand, cells in tissues engineered in the static condition were randomly aligned. Immunochemical analyses showed that the expressions of SM alpha-actin, SM myosin heavy chain, EC von Willebrand factor, and EC nitric oxide were upregulated in tissues engineered under a mechano-active condition, compared to vessel tissues engineered in the static condition. These results indicated that the co-culturing of SMCs and ECs, using collagen/PLGA hybrid scaffolds under a pulsatile perfusion system, leads to the enhancement of vascular EC development, as well as the retention of the differentiated cell phenotype.
Jeong
Sung In
SI
School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea.
Kim
So Yeon
SY
Cho
Seong Kwan
SK
Chong
Moo Sang
MS
Kim
Kyung Soo
KS
Kim
Hyuck
H
Lee
Sang Bong
SB
Lee
Young Moo
YM
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D019149:Bioreactors; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010477:Perfusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D011817:Rabbits; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000737:chemistry*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D003094:Collagen