Electrospun silk fibroin/poly (L-lactide-ε-caplacton) graft with platelet-rich growth factor for inducing smooth muscle cell growth and infiltration.

Anlin Yin,Rifang Luo,Xingdong Zhang,Gary L Bowlin,Xiumei Mo,Yunbing Wang

doi:10.1093/rb/rbw026

Anlin Yin, Rifang Luo + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1093/rb/rbw026

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Abstract

The construction of a smooth muscle layer for blood vessel through electrospinning method plays a key role in vascular tissue engineering. However, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) penetration into the electrospun graft to form a smooth muscle layer is limited due to the dense packing of fibers and lack of inducing factors. In this paper, silk fibroin/poly (L-lactide-ε-caplacton) (SF/PLLA-CL) vascular graft loaded with platelet-rich growth factor (PRGF) was fabricated by electrospinning. The in vitro results showed that SMCs cultured in the graft grew fast, and the incorporation of PRGF could induce deeper SMCs infiltrating compared to the SF/PLLA-CL graft alone. Mechanical properties measurement showed that PRGF-incorporated graft had proper tensile stress, suture retention strength, burst pressure and compliance which could match the demand of native blood vessel. The success in the fabrication of PRGF-incorporated SF/PLLA-CL graft to induce fast SMCs growth and their strong penetration into graft has important application for tissue-engineered blood vessels.

Highlights

Suitable blood vessel substitutes, especially small diameter vessels, are in the great need for coronary artery disease in clinical therapy [1]
The in vitro results showed that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) cultured in the graft grew fast, and the incorporation of platelet-rich growth factor (PRGF) could induce deeper SMCs infiltrating compared to the Silk fibroin (SF)/PLLA-CL graft alone
The morphologies of SF/PLLA-CL/PRGF fibers collected by aluminum foil were observed under SEM and shown in Fig. 1A and B

Summary

Introduction

Especially small diameter (inner diameter 4 mm) vessels, are in the great need for coronary artery disease in clinical therapy [1]. The autologous saphenous vein remains the first choice to replace diseased vascular tissue. It may not be available for some patients due to vascular disease, amputation and previous harvest. Vascular grafts based on polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron), expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and decellularized bovine ureters are used in clinics [3,4,5]. Dacron and ePTFE are synthesized polymeric materials those have limited success when used as small-diameter arterial substitutes whereas they have been successfully used as large-caliber arterial substitutes [2]. There remains an urgent clinical demand for functional small diameter arterial graft preparation

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Conclusion