title: Intravital fluorescent microscopic evaluation of bacterial cellulose as scaffold for vascular grafts.
abstract: Although commonly used synthetic vascular grafts perform satisfactorily in large caliber blood vessels, they are prone to thrombosis in small diameter vessels. Therefore, small vessels might benefit from tissue engineered vascular grafts. This study evaluated bacterial cellulose (BC) as a potential biomaterial for biosynthetic blood vessels. We implanted the dorsal skinfold chambers in three groups of Syrian golden hamsters with BC (experimental group), polyglycolic acid, or expanded polytetrafluorethylene (control groups). Following implantation, we used intravital fluorescence microscopy, histology, and immunohistochemistry to analyze the biocompatibility, neovascularization, and incorporation of each material over a time period of 2 weeks. Biocompatibility was good in all groups, as indicated by the absence of leukocyte activation upon implantation. All groups displayed angiogenic response in the host tissue, but that response was highest in the polyglycolic acid group. Histology revealed vascularized granulation tissue surrounding all three biomaterials, with many proliferating cells and a lack of apoptotic cell death 2 weeks after implantation. In conclusion, BC offers good biocompatibility and material incorporation compared with commonly used materials in vascular surgery. Thus, BC represents a promising new biomaterial for tissue engineering of vascular grafts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maricris
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esguerra
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Matthias W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Laschke
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeppsson
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delbro
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gatenholm
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Menger
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Risberg
mesh_terms: D000091:Acetobacter / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002482:Cellulose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D036904:Leukocyte Rolling / Q000187:drug effects; D008422:Materials Testing; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D055806:Microvessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002482:Cellulose