Novel reinforcement of corrugated nanofiber tissue-engineered vascular graft to prevent aneurysm formation for arteriovenous shunts in an ovine model.

Objective: Many patients who require hemodialysis treatment will often require a prosthetic graft after multiple surgeries. However, the patency rate of grafts currently available commercially has not been satisfactory. Tissue engineering vascular grafts (TEVGs) are biodegradable scaffolds created to promote autologous cell proliferation and functional neotissue regeneration and, accordingly, have antithrombogenicity. Therefore, TEVGs can be an alternative prosthesis for small diameter grafts. However, owing to the limitations of the graft materials, most TEVGs are rigid and can easily kink when implanted in limited spaces, precluding future clinical application. Previously, we developed a novel corrugated nanofiber graft to prevent graft kinking. Reinforcement of these grafts to ensure their safety is required in a preclinical study. In the present study, three types of reinforcement were applied, and their effectiveness was examined using large animals.

Methods: In the present study, three different reinforcements for the graft composed of corrugated poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) blended with poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) created with electrospinning were evaluated: 1) a polydioxanone suture, 2) a 2-0 polypropylene suture, 3) a polyethylene terephthalate/polyurethane (PET/PU) outer layer, and PCL/PLCL as the control. These different grafts were then implanted in a U-shape between the carotid artery and jugular vein in seven ovine models for a total of 14 grafts during a 3-month period. In evaluating the different reinforcements, the main factors considered were cell proliferation and a lack of graft dilation, which were evaluated using ultrasound examinations and histologic and mechanical analysis.

Results: No kinking of the grafts occurred. Overall, re-endothelialization was observed in all the grafts at 3 months after surgery without graft rupture or calcification. The PCL/PLCL grafts and PCL/PLCL grafts with a polydioxanone suture showed high cell infiltration; however, they had become dilated 10 weeks after surgery. In contrast, the PCL/PLCL graft with the 2-0 suture and the PCL/PLCL graft covered with a PET/PU layer did not show any graft expansion. The PCL/PLCL graft covered with a PET/PU layer showed less cell infiltration than that of the PCL/PLCL graft.

Conclusions: Reinforcement is required to create grafts that can withstand arterial pressure. Reinforcement with suture materials has the potential to maintain cell infiltration into the graft, which could improve the neotissue formation of the graft.