• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.171-180
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• 2015

Vascular tissue engineering has been accessed to mimic the natural composition of the blood vessel containing intima, media, and adventitia layers. We fabricated mechanically expanded PLLA/PLCL nanofibers using electrospinning and UTM. The pore size of the meshes was increased the gelatin immobilized AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers ($203.30{\pm}49.62microns$) than PLLA/PLCL nanofibers ($59.99{\pm}8.66microns$) after mechanical expansion. To increase the cell adhesion and proliferation, we introduced carboxyl group, and gelatin was conjugated on them. The properties of the PLLA/PLCL nanofibers were analyzed with SEM, ATR-FTIR, TBO staining, and water contact angle measurement, general cell responses on the PLLA/PLCL nanofibers such as adhesion, proliferation, and infiltration were also investigated using smooth muscle cell (SMC). During the SMC culture, the initial viability of the cells was significantly increased on the gelatin immobilized AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers, and infiltration of the cells was also enhanced on them. Therefore, gelatin immobilized AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers and mechanically expanded meshes may be a good tool for vascular tissue engineering application.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.224-230
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• 2015

This study was designed in the fabricated poly (L-Lactic-co-${\varepsilon}$-Caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffold using chitosan-alginate hydrogel, which would be more suitable to maintain the biological and physiological functions continuing three dimensional spatial organizations for chondrocytes. As a scaffold, hydrogels alone is weak at endure complex loading within the body. In this study, we made cell hybrid scaffold constructs with poly (L-Lactic-co-${\varepsilon}$-Caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffold and hydrogels to make a three-dimensional composition of cells and extracellular matrix, which would be a mimic of a native cartilage. Using a particle leaching technique with NaCl, we fabricated a highly-elastic scaffold from PLCL with 85% porosity and $300-500{\mu}m$ pore size. A mixture of bovine chondrocytes and chitosan-alginate gel was seeded and compared with alginate as a control on the PLCL scaffold. The cell maturation, proliferation, extracellular matrix synthesis, glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) production and collagen type-II expressions were better in chondrocytes seeded in chitosan-alginate hydrogel than in alginate only. These results indicate that chondrocytes with chitosan-alginate gel on PLCL scaffolds provide an appropriate biomimetic environment for cell proliferation and matrix synthesis, which could successfully be used for cartilage repair and regeneration.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2008

Biodegradable and elastic poly(L-lactide-co-$\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PLCL) was electrospun to prepare nanofibers, and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) was then grafted onto their surfaces under aqueous conditions using $^{60}Co-{\gamma}$ irradiation. The graft yield increased with increasing irradiation dose from 5 to 10 kGy and the nanofibers showed a greater graft yield compared with the firms. SEM confirmed that the PLCL nanofibers maintained an interconnected pore structure after grafting with NIPAAm. However, overdoses of irradiation led to the excessive formation of homopolymer gels on the surface of thc PLCL nanofibers. The equilibrium swelling and deswelling ratio of the PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers (prepared with 10 kGy) was the highest among the samples, which was consistent with the graft yield results. The phase-separation characteristics of PNIPAAm in aqueous conditions conferred a unique temperature-responsive swelling behavior of PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers, showing the ability to absorb a large amount of water at < $32^{\circ}C$, and abrupt collapse when the temperature was increased to $40^{\circ}C$. In accordance with the temperature-dependent changes in swelling behavior, the release rate of indomethacin and FITC-BSA loaded in PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers by a diffusion-mediated process was regulated by the change in temperature. Both model drugs demonstrated greater release rate at $40^{\circ}C$ relative to that at $25^{\circ}C$. This approach of the temperature-controlled release of drugs from PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers using gamma-ray irradiation may be used to design drugs and protein delivery carriers in various biomedical applications.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2015

Simple poor-cosolvent casting was used to surface treat biodegradable elastic poly(L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PLCL; 50:50) copolymer films that presented lotus-leaf-like structures. We evaluated whether the lotus-leaflike-structured PLCL (L-PLCL) films could be used as a biomaterial for artificial vascular grafts. The surface morphology, hydrophobicity, and antithrombotic efficiency of the films were examined while immersed in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a contact angle meter. The recovery and crystallinity of the films were measured using a tensile-strength testing machine and an X-ray diffractometer, respectively. The solvent containing acetic acid, as a poor co-solvent, and methylene chloride mixed in a 1:2 ratio produced an optimal PLCL film with a water contact angle of approximately $124^{\circ}$. Furthermore, the surface of the L-PLCL films immersed in PRP showed a lower rate of platelet adhesion (<10%) than that of the surface of an untreated PLCL film immersed in PRP.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.111-116
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• 2013

Finite element analysis(FEA) has been extensively applied in the analyses of biomechanical properties of stents. Geometrically, a closed-cell stent is an assembly of a number of repeated unit cells and exhibits periodicity in both longitudinal and circumferential directions. This study concentrates on various parameters of the FEA models for the analysis of drug-eluting biodegradable polymeric stents for application to the treatment of coronary artery disease. In order to determine the mechanical characteristics of biodegradable polymeric stents, FEA was used to model two different types of stents: tubular stents(TS) and helicoidal stents(HS). For this modeling, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG)-eluting poly[(L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone), PLCL] (E-PLCL) was chosen as drug-eluting stent materials. E-PLCL was prepared by blending PLCL with 5% EGCG as previously described. In addition, the effects of EGCG blending on the mechanical properties of PLCL were investigated for both types of stent models. EGCG did not affect tensile strength at break, but significantly increased elastic modulus of PLCL. It is suggested that FEA is a cost-effective method to improve the design of drug-eluting biodegradable polymeric stents.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2012

The uniform nanofibers of poly(L-lactide-$co$-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PLCL) with different contents of marine collagen (MC) were successfully prepared by electrospinning method. The effects of the major parameters in electrospinning process such as tip to target distance (TTD), voltage, nozzle size and flow rate on the average diameter of the electrospun nanofiber were investigated in generating composite nanofiber. The diameter and morphology of the nanofibers were confirmed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, we measured a water contact angle to determine the surface wettability of the nanofibers. The average diameter of the nanofibers decreased as the value of TTD, MC contents, and voltages increased in comparison with that of pristine PLCL nanofiber. In contrast, the diameter of the nanofibers increased as the flow rate and inner diameter of nozzle increased in comparison with that of pristine PLCL. In addition, the hydrophilicity of the nanofiber and attachment of MG-63 cells on the sheets increased as incorporated collagen contents increased. Therefore, the marine collagen would be a potential material to enhance cellular interactivity of synthetic materials by mimicking the natural tissue.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.567-569
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• 2008

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• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.575-579
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• 2009

Copolymerization of L-lactide and s-caprolactone initiated by tin (II) octoate (Sn(Oct)$_2$) was carried out in supercritical chlorodifluoromethane (R22) with varying reaction conditions (time and temperature) and amounts of monomer and catalyst, under a pressure of 250 bar. The optimum conditions were a reaction time of 10 h and a temperature of 130 $^{\circ}C$, which is similar to the temperature used in bulk copolymerization system. The conversion increased from 56% to 76% by increasing the reaction time from 1 to 10 h. The molecular weight also increased to 75,900 g.mol$^{-1}$ over the same period, while the increased monomer concentration resulted in a high molecular weight of 86,400 g.mol$^{-1}$ and a monomer conversion of 84%. Raising the reaction temperature from 90 to 130 $^{\circ}C$ increased the monomer conversion as well as the poly-L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone (PLCL) molecular weight. The variation on the stannous octoate catalyst suggested that less catalyst would decrease the caprolactone content of the polymer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.160-169
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• 2008

Bakcground: To treat anastomosis site stenosis and occlusion of the artificial vessels used in vascular surgery, tissue-engineered artificial vessels using autologous cells have been constructed. We developed artificial vessels using a polymer scaffold and autologous bone marrow cells and performed an in vivo evaluation. Material and Method: We manufactured a vascular scaffold using biodegradable PLCL (poly lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) and PGA (poly glycolic acid) fibers. Then we seeded autologous bone marrow cells onto the scaffold. After implantation of the artificial vessel into the abdominal aorta, we performed an angiography 3 weeks after surgery. After the dogs were euthanized we retrieved the artificial vessels and performed histological analysis. Result: Among the six dogs, 2 dogs died of massive bleeding due to a crack in the vascular scaffold 10 days after the operation. The remaining four dogs lived for 3 weeks after the operation. In these dogs. the angiography revealed no stenosis or occlusion at 3 weeks after the operation. Gross examination revealed small thrombi on the inner surface of the vessels and the histological analysis showed three layers of vessel structure similar to the native vessel. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated regeneration of the endothelial and smooth muscle cell layers. Conclusion: A tissue engineered vascular graft was manufactured using a polymer scaffold and autologous bone marrow cells that had a structure similar to that of the native artery. Further research is needed to determine how to accommodate the aortic pressure.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2013

In tissue engineering application, a fibrous structure of scaffolds has been issued as an alternative system to regulate cell survival and tissue regeneration, and electrospinning technique has been popularly used to generate fibrous meshes or sheets mimicking the structure of native extracellular matrix (ECM). However, recent strategy in the scaffold development is expanded to provide the structural property as well as a biological property of native ECM, a variety of surface modification techniques have been used to introduce biological property. In this study, we developed biomimetic poly(L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PLCL) nano- and micro-fibrous scaffolds as a unique platform with structural and biological properties with native ECM using electrospinning method and gamma-ray irradiation. Surface morphology of the scaffolds was observed by scanning electron microscopy, and alteration of surface property was evaluated with toluidine blue O staining, water contact angle measurement and ATR-FTIR analysis.