Reconstruction of tissue engineering blood vessel via acellular matrix

AIM: To reconstruct the tissue engineering blood vessel by using acellular matrix of porcine thoracic aorta tissue as the scaffold, and by inoculability of vascular endothelial cells (EC) from human umbilical cord vein. METHODS: The porcine thoracic aorta was treated with 1% Triton X-100 for preparing acellular vessel matrix, and the mechanical characterization was in succession modified by freeze-drying and thermal cross-linking techniques. Meanwhile, the mechanics capability of the vessel was measured. The endothelial cells isolated from umbilical cord vein were seeded on the acellular matrix scaffolds by tissue culture in vitro. The structure of acellular matrix was analyzed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: By treatment with 1% Triton X-100 for 84 h, the cells of thoracic aorta were fully come off and the three-dimensional structure of the matrix still remained. After modification by freeze-drying for 24 h and then thermal cross-linking under vacuum at 120 ℃ for 12 h, the tensile strength of the acellular matrix remarkable increased and reached the maximum breaking strength of 1.70 MPa. It was also showed that cultured endothelial cells grew on the surface of acellular matrix for 7 days and the typical structure of vessel- like intimal formation was observed under scanning electron microscopy. CONCLUSION: The acellular matrix and endothelial cells have favorable compatibility. The modified acellular matrix could be a good candidate scaffold for rebuilding the tissue engineering blood vessel.