Experimental study on limitations of anastomotic endothelialization of vascular prostheses

We studied the effect of endothelial cell (EC) senescence on proliferation, migration, and endothelialization in vitro using a culture model. Two generations of cultured bovine aortic ECs were used. The results showed that 1) the senescent ECs had much reduced rates of proliferation, migration, and endothelialization in vitro, and 2) that the young ECs at the leading edge gradually developed morphology similar to that of the senescent ECs as endothelialization proceeded. Computerized videomicroscopic observation revealed that the ECs at the leading edge had higher motile activity than the ECs at the back. This suggests that the ECs at the leading edge, and circumvented from contact inhibition, may proliferate much more frequently than the ECs at the back. Localized cellular aging may result in decelerated or incomplete endothelialization, as found clinically.