Polymer-Based Electrospun Vascular Grafts: A Study of Constructs and Endothelial Interactions

Abstract

This study investigates tissue-engineered vascular grafts using electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) polymers. The goal is to assess human umbilical endothelial cell (HUVEC) adhesion and proliferation on the fabricated grafts. Electrospinning produces nanofibrous scaffolds mimicking the ECM, fostering a suitable environment for cellular growth. Tubular surfaces from PCL and PLCL with randomly distributed fibers are cultured with HUVECs. The scaffolds underwent MTS analysis to assess cell viability, along with PECAM1 and PCDH12 gene expression analysis to observe cell-scaffold interactions. In the MTS analysis, on the 14th day, the PCL samples exhibit a 20% higher proliferation value than the control group, while the PLCL samples show an 8% increase. However, upon examining gene expression analyses, it is evident that the PLCL samples demonstrated a higher fold-change in both PECAM1 and PCDH12 gene expressions on days 3, 7, and 14 compared to the PCL samples. The outcomes demonstrate the potential of the developed electrospun vascular grafts for cardiovascular tissue engineering.