ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The glycoprotein which ends of a-galactosyi residues (a-Gal) is the major heterogenic antigen for hyperacute rejection. OBJECTIVE: To observe the distribution characteristic of the small tissue engineered vessel scaffold, and a-Gal in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of Wistar rats and Japanese white rabbits, in addition, to discuss the feasibility of applying acellular tissue vessel scaffold to heterogeneous blood vessel transplantation. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The contrast observation was conducted at the Department of Human Anatomy of China Medical University between March 2003 and December 2004. MATERIALS: Totally 30 caudal arteries of Wistar rats were collected. Fifteen of which were prepared for small vessel scaffold (small vessel scaffold group), the remained 15 served as caudal artery group. Additionally, 15 central arteries were obtained from each ear of Japanese white rabbits (central artery group). METHODS: Totally 16 mg/L Bandeiraea Simplicifolia I Isolectin B4 (BSI-B4) was added for DAB staining with Affinity histochemistry method. Then MetaMorth/C5050/BX41 microscopic image analysis system was used to detect the positive reaction product of a-Gal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Color changes of vascular wall were observed under light microscope; the optical density of the positive reaction product of a-Gal was measured. RESULTS: The expression of a-Gal was mainly located in the cell membrane, as well as cell nucleus of endothelial cells in the central artery group. The expression of a-Gal of endothelial cell was strong positive in the caudal artery group, which was weak or negative expressed in the small vessel scaffold group. The optical density of a-Gal expression was lowest in the tunica intima of small vessel scaffold group, which was less in the central artery group than the caudal artery group (P < 0.001). The a-Gal expression in the tunica media of small vessel scaffold group was less than the central artery and the caudal artery groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In the caudal artery of Wistar rat, the expression of a-Gal is higher than that in the central artery of Japanese white rabbit. Therefore, the heterogeneous tissue engineered vessel material from acellular caudal artery of Wistar rats can be used in blood vessel transplantation.