Novel electrospun polyurethane/gelatin composite meshes for vascular grafts.
Novel polymeric micro-nanostructure meshes as blood vessels substitute have been developed and investigated as a potential solution to the lack of functional synthetic small diameter vascular prosthesis. A commercial elastomeric polyurethane (Tecoflex EG-80A) and a natural biopolymer (gelatin) were successfully co-electrospun from different spinnerets on a rotating mandrel to obtain composite meshes benefiting from the mechanical characteristics of the polyurethane and the natural biopolymer cytocompatibility. Morphological analysis showed a uniform integration of micrometric (Tecoflex) and nanometric (gelatin) fibers. Exposure of the composite meshes to vapors of aqueous glutaraldehyde solution was carried out, to stabilize the gelatin fibers in an aqueous environment. Uniaxial tensile testing in wet conditions demonstrated that the analyzed Tecoflex-Gelatin specimens possessed higher extensibility and lower elastic modulus than conventional synthetic grafts, providing a closer matching to native vessels. Biological evaluation highlighted that, as compared with meshes spun from Tecoflex alone, the electrospun composite constructs enhanced endothelial cells adhesion and proliferation, both in terms of cell number and morphology. Results suggest that composite Tecoflex-Gelatin meshes could be promising alternatives to conventional vascular grafts, deserving of further studies on both their mechanical behaviour and smooth muscle cell compatibility.
Laboratory of Bioactive Polymeric Materials for Biomedical and Environmental Applications, UdR INSTM, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Vecchia Livornese 1291, 56122, San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy.
Nicola
N
Detta
Cesare
C
Errico
Dinuccio
D
Dinucci
Dario
D
Puppi
David A
DA
Clarke
Gwendolen C
GC
Reilly
Federica
F
Chiellini
D001705:Bioprosthesis; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D004548:Elasticity; D042783:Endothelial Cells; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle; D011140:Polyurethanes; D019736:Prostheses and Implants
D011140:Polyurethanes; C062725:Tecoflex; D005780:Gelatin