Use of an endothelial monolayer on a vascular graft prior to implantation: temporal dynamics and compatibility with the operating room

• Published in: Annals of surgery Vol. 203; no. 6; pp. 671 - 678
• Main Authors: JARRELL, B. E, WILLIAMS, S. K, SOLOMON, L, SPEICHER, L, KOOLPE, E, RADOMSKI, J, CARABASI, R. A, GREENER, D, ROSATO, F. E
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott 01.06.1986
• Subjects: Arterial Occlusive Diseases - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Cell Adhesion; Cell Communication; Cells, Cultured; Endothelium - physiology; Endothelium - ultrastructure; Humans; Iliac Vein; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Time Factors; Vascular surgery: aorta, extremities, vena cava. Surgery of the lymphatic vessels; Human; Pathology; Cell culture; Bypass; Prosthesis; Surgery; Cardiovascular disease; Graft; Artery; Endothelium
• ISSN: 0003-4932; 1528-1140
• DOI: 10.1097/00000658-198606000-00012

The temporal sequence of events was examined from initial contact of endothelial cells (ECs) to Dacron until the establishment of a monolayer. Cultured human adult ECs were radiolabeled, seeded onto Dacron, and adherence was quantified after vigorous washing. Firm adherence of 70% of the seeded ECs was seen by 2 hours to untreated Dacron, by 30 minutes to Dacron pretreated with a combination of interstitial type I/III collagen and an amnion-derived basement membrane (Type IV) collagen surface, and by 10 minutes to plasma-coated Dacron. Parallel samples were examined morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the adherence of ECs to surfaces. ECs seeded onto plain Dacron exhibited limited adherence, while cells on plasma-treated Dacron exhibited limited cell-cell associations. On basement membrane-treated Dacron, by 30 minutes the ECs exhibited a flat attenuated morphology, completely covering the graft surface. This time-frame is compatible with most vascular procedures, making an immediately endothelialized graft feasible.