The generation of a small-caliber arterial graft, utilizing a large vessel of a small animal, such as the aorta of the rat or rabbit, for clinical use in the peripheral arterial tree, can widen the options for arterial prostheses. This in vivo study demonstrated the ability of the decellularization protocol that was used to produce a noncytotoxic acellular small-caliber arterial graft, with sufficient biomechanical and biological integrity to withstand the demanding flow and pressure environment of the rat aorta. This work also demonstrated the superiority of the decellularized homograft over its intact counterpart, in terms of lower immunogenicity.
Keywords: abdominal aorta; decellularization; orthotopical transplantation; rat model.