Silk fibroin vascular graft: a promising tissue-engineered scaffold material for abdominal venous system replacement

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 3;10(1):21041. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78020-y.

Abstract

No alternative tissue-engineered vascular grafts for the abdominal venous system are reported. The present study focused on the development of new tissue-engineered vascular graft using a silk-based scaffold material for abdominal venous system replacement. A rat vein, the inferior vena cava, was replaced by a silk fibroin (SF, a biocompatible natural insoluble protein present in silk thread), tissue-engineered vascular graft (10 mm long, 3 mm diameter, n = 19, SF group). The 1 and 4 -week patency rates and histologic reactions were compared with those of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular grafts (n = 10, ePTFE group). The patency rate at 1 and 4 weeks after replacement in the SF group was 100.0% and 94.7%, and that in the ePTFE group was 100.0% and 80.0%, respectively. There was no significant difference between groups (p = 0.36). Unlike the ePTFE graft, CD31-positive endothelial cells covered the whole luminal surface of the SF vascular graft at 4 weeks, indicating better endothelialization. SF vascular grafts may be a promising tissue-engineered scaffold material for abdominal venous system replacement.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Endothelium, Vascular / cytology
  • Endothelium, Vascular / physiology
  • Fibroins / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / genetics
  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Tissue Engineering / methods*
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*
  • Vascular Grafting / methods*
  • Venae Cavae / physiology*

Substances

  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Fibroins