Biomechanical and angiogenic properties of tissue-engineered rat trachea using genipin cross-linked decellularized tissue.
In this study, the obtainment and characterization of decellularized rat tracheal grafts are described. The detergent-enzymatic method, already used to develop bioengineered pig and human trachea scaffolds, has been applied to rat tracheae in order to obtain airway grafts suitable to be used to improve our knowledge on the process of tissue-engineered airway transplantation and regeneration. The results demonstrated that, after 9 detergent-enzymatic cycles, almost complete decellularized tracheae, retaining the hierarchical and mechanical properties of the native tissues with strong in vivo angiogenic characteristics, could be obtained. Moreover, to improve the mechanical properties of decellularized tracheae, genipin is here considered as a naturally derived cross-linking agent. The results demonstrated that the treatment increased mechanical properties, in term of secant modulus, without neither altering the pro-angiogenic properties of decellularized airway matrices or eliciting an in vivo inflammatory response.
BIOAIRLab, University Hospital Careggi, Florence, Italy.
Johannes
J
Haag
Silvia
S
Baiguera
Philipp
P
Jungebluth
Daniel
D
Barale
Costantino
C
Del Gaudio
Francesca
F
Castiglione
Alessandra
A
Bianco
Camilla E
CE
Comin
Domenico
D
Ribatti
Paolo
P
Macchiarini
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D039823:Iridoids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*
D039823:Iridoids; C007834:genipin