• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 1996

Prevention of thromboembolism is the most important task in the development of bioconpatible small caliber artificial vascular graft. In normal vessels, vascular endothelial cells maintain homeosatsis by secreting numerous factors. The aim of this study is to develope a method which Improves biocompatibility of small caliver polyurethane graft using endothelial cell culture technique, and ev luate the efTectiveness of extracelluar matrix for endothelization which was produced by cultured fibroblast. Methods ; Multiporous polyurethane tube of 3 mm diameter, 0.3 mm thickness was manufactured for vascular graft. Three mongrel dogs were intubated and internal jugular veins removed. Extracelluar matrix produced by cultured flbrobast which was obtained from dog's internal jugular vein were coated to the polyurethane graft. Then, endothelial cells extracted from Jugular vein were cultured and fixed on the extracelluar matrix layer of vascular graft. Endothelial cell coated vascular grafts were implanted to the carotid arteries of experimental dogs as interposed autograft. Implanted grafts were removed after 3 and 6 weeks. As a control, PTFE graft was interposed on carotid artery. These experiments demonstrated that extracelluar matrix produced by fibroblast can afford a base for endothelial cell linings of polyurethane graft. Although thrombosis were developed on autografted en othelial cell coated graft, 33% opening was noticed, and showed less adhesion to adjacent tissue layer. These findings suggest that fiboblast produced extracelluar matrix which can be used for edothelial cell lining vascular graft, and by improving the cultured endothelial cell function, there will be a new modality for reducing thrombosis on small vascular graft.