Growth of cultured calf aortic smooth muscle cells on cardiovascular prosthetic materials

The growth of cultured calf aortic smooth muscle cells on cardiovascular biomaterials was investigated, using native and oxidized polyacrylonitrile (orlon) fabrics, dacron velour, and Parylene-C coated polypropylene microfabric as substrates. By light microscopic evaluation, surface cell coverage was most complete on microfabric, followed by native orlon, dacron velour, and oxidized orlon. Native orlon supported the greatest total cell growth, as determined by chemically extractable protein, followed by oxidized orlon, dacron velour, and the microfabric. The observed differences appear to be related to the pore size and fiber thickness of the different substrates.