Development of Ultrafine Polyester Fiber Vascular Grafts with High Endothelialization Capability

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Abstract
The authors previously showed that a vascular prosthesis made of ultrafine polyester fibers (UFPF) had high healing ability even when of low porosity. In this study, new highly porous vascular grafts fabricated from UFPF (water porosity: 3,600 ml/min/cm2, 8 mm in inner diameter and 5 cm in length), were developed and implanted in the thoracic descending aorta of dogs to evaluate their endothelialization capability. Two weeks after implantation, many colonies of endothelial cells with openings of capillary blood vessels were noted, even in the middle portion of the grafts. Numerous fibroblasts and capillary blood vessels were also observed in the synthetic walls. These results suggest that UFPF vascular grafts provide a suitable microenvironment for infiltration and proliferation of fibroblasts, which are accompanied by the capillary formation as nutrient supply; these capillaries provide multiple sources of endothelial coverage on the luminal surface. It is expected that the new, highly porous vascular grafts may have rich endothelialization capability and stable healing properties in humans.

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