Electrospun polyurethane-based vascular grafts: physicochemical properties and functioning in vivo

Biomed Mater. 2019 Dec 23;15(1):015010. doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ab550c.

Abstract

General physicochemical properties of the vascular grafts (VGs) produced from the solutions of Tecoflex (Tec) with gelatin (GL) and bivalirudin (BV) by electrospinning are studied. The electrospun VGs of Tec-GL-BV and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) implanted in the abdominal aorta of 36 Wistar rats have been observed over different time intervals up to 24 weeks. A comparison shows that 94.5% of the Tec-GL-BV VGs and only 66.6% of e-PTFE VGs (р = 0.0438) are free of occlusions after a 6 month implantation. At the intermediate observation points, Tec-GL-BV VGs demonstrate severe neovascularization of the VG neoadventitial layer as compared with e-PTFE grafts. A histological examination demonstrates a small thickness of the neointima layer and a low level of calcification in Tec-GL-BV VGs as compared with the control grafts. Thus, polyurethane-based protein-enriched VGs have certain advantages over e-PTFE VGs, suggesting their utility in clinical studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta, Abdominal / pathology
  • Aorta, Abdominal / surgery
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis*
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Female
  • Gelatin
  • Hirudins
  • Male
  • Materials Testing
  • Models, Animal
  • Neointima / pathology
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene / chemistry
  • Polyurethanes / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Recombinant Proteins

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Hirudins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Polyurethanes
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Gelatin
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene
  • bivalirudin