Experimental study on constructing small-caliber artery by tissue engineering approach / 中华外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possibility of constructing small-caliber artery by means of tissue engineering.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cell-PGA mixtures were made by separately seeding 1 x 10(7) smooth muscle cells and 5 x 10(6) endothelial cells isolated from neonate umbilicus onto PGA scaffold, the cell-PGA constructs were wrapped around a silicone tube before its implantation subcutaneously to nude mice and the mice were sacrificed in 2 and 6 weeks. The tissue engineered artery (TEA) were examined both grossly and immunohistochemically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gross appearance of TEA was similar to that of the natural counterparts; histologic and immunohistochemical analyses of the neoformed tissues revealed a typical artery structure, including the presence of EC at the luminal surface and the presence of SMC and collagen in the wall.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TEA with histology similar to natural vessel can be constructed by tissue engineering.</p>