Small-diameter decellularized vascular graft with electrospun polycaprolactone

Abstract

Small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs) comprised of decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) and electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) were generated for potential cardiovascular applications with higher mechanical properties. Rat aortas were successfully extracted and decellularized resulting to lower DNA content compared to native vessels. Results showed increased tensile properties of decellularized ECM upon the addition of electrospun PCL fibers. The PCL-ECM grafts were devoid of delamination through solution immersion of the ECM lining. In vitro studies showed that PCL-ECM scaffolds were biocompatible, showed minimal hemolysis, and low blood coagulation behavior. Overall, the reinforced SDVGs provided promising results applicable to future in vivo allogenic applications. (c) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.