Optimal culture conditions for constructing durable biografts for repairing the impaired heart--dynamic cell culture with pre-seeding.

Background: Tissue engineering with cell seeded biodegradable material has attracted attention as a novel means of treating the severely impaired heart. Here, we consider optimal preparation of a durable biograft using dynamic and static cultures.

Methods: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from the rat aorta were seeded onto biodegradable material P (LA/CL) (poly-L-lactide-ε-caprolactone copolymer) and cultured as follows: a) Static culture (n = 11), b) dynamic culture (n = 12), c) 0 h pre-seeding (n = 12), d) 24 h pre-seeding (n = 5) and e) 1 week pre-seeding (n = 12). Dynamic culture: Cells were cultured in spinner flasks. Pre-seeding: Static cell seeding and culture before dynamic culture.

Evaluation: The conditions of the P (LA/CL) in the five groups were evaluated as cell proliferation and by histological studies.

Results: VSMCs proliferated both in and on the biodegradable materials. The quality of the dynamic culture cell with pre-seeding increased. Although the duration of pre-seeding exerted no significantly different effects, cell attachment and proliferation were widely scattered in the 0 h pre-seeding group, whereas cells proliferating on the front of the scaffold obstructed proliferation inside the biodegradable material in the 1 week pre-seeding group .

Conclusions: Dynamic cell culture with 24 h pre-seeding is effective for constructing ideal biografts.