Tissue engineering of small caliber vascular grafts.

OBJECTIVE: Previous tissue engineering approaches to create small caliber vascular grafts have been limited by the structural and mechanical immaturity of the constructs. This study uses a novel in vitro pulse duplicator system providing a 'biomimetic' environment during tissue formation to yield more mature, implantable vascular grafts. METHODS: Vascular grafts (I.D. 0.5 cm) were fabricated from novel bioabsorbable polymers (polyglycolic-acid/poly-4-hydroxybutyrate) and sequentially seeded with ovine vascular myofibroblasts and endothelial cells. After 4 days static culture, the grafts (n=24) were grown in vitro in a pulse duplicator system (bioreactor) for 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Controls (n=24) were grown in static culture conditions. Analysis of the neo-tissue included histology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and biochemical assays (DNA for cell content, 5-hydroxyproline for collagen). Mechanical testing was performed measuring the burst pressure and the suture retention strength. RESULTS: Histology showed viable, dense tissue in all samples. SEM demonstrated confluent smooth inner surfaces of the grafts exposed to pulsatile flow after 14 days. Biochemical analysis revealed a continuous increase of cell mass and collagen to 21 days compared to significantly lower values in the static controls. The mechanical properties of the pulsed vascular grafts comprised supra-physiological burst strength and suture retention strength appropriate for surgical implantation. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of tissue engineering of viable, surgically implantable small caliber vascular grafts and the important effect of a 'biomimetic' in vitro environment on tissue maturation and extracellular matrix formation.