Abstract:

BACKGROUND: How to successfully obtain compact endothelium layers on smooth muscle cells is the most crucial part for the tissue-engineered vessels.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of different cell implantation concentrations on the construction of the complete biological tissue-engineered blood vessels.
METHODS: Different concentrations of porcine vascular smooth muscle cells (5×105, 5×107 cells/L) were implanted on the porcine acellular vascular matrix to culture for 3 days. Then different concentrations of endothelial progenitor cells (5×105,   5×107 cells/L) were implanted on the smooth muscle cell-vascular matrix composite to construct lamellar complete biological tissue-engineered blood vessels.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The growth curves of high concentrations of smooth muscle cells on the acellular vascular matrix were similar to that of low concentrations. Moreover, the growth curves of cells implanted in the culture plates were similar to that implanted on the acellular matrix. However, cells in the low concentration groups have relatively low proliferation activity and low coverage rate. The cell coverage rate decreased as follows: high concentrations of endothelial progenitor cells+acellular matrix containing high concentrations of smooth muscle cells > high concentrations of endothelial progenitor cells+acellular matrix containing low concentrations of smooth muscle cells > low concentrations of endothelial progenitor cells+acellular matrix containing high concentrations of smooth muscle cells > low concentrations of endothelial progenitor cells+acellular matrix containing low concentrations of smooth muscle cells. Moreover, high concentrations of endothelial progenitor cells form relatively compact layers on the acellular matrix and show cobble-like growth. These findings indicate that an increase in the cell implantation concentrations is beneficial to the rapid formation of compact cell layers on the material surface.