[Isolation and viability of human endothelial cells in tissue engineering]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Tissue engineering of human blood vessels relies on viable and functional endothelial cells (ECs).
• Primary cell cultures of human umbilical vein ECs are commonly used.
• Determining the optimal cell passage is crucial for successful tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most appropriate cell passage of human umbilical vein ECs for tissue engineering protocols.
• To evaluate both cell viability and prostacyclin (PGI2) activity across different cell passages.

Main Methods:

• Cell viability assessed by quantifying intracellular ion concentrations using electron probe X-ray microanalysis.
• Prostacyclin (PGI2) release quantified via radioimmunoassay.
• Analysis of the K/Na ratio for cell passage-specific viability indicators.

Main Results:

• The K/Na ratio varied significantly between cell passages, indicating differential viability.
• Highest cell viability was observed in the third passage.
• PGI2 production was highest in the first two passages, declining significantly by the third passage.

Conclusions:

• The second cell passage of human umbilical vein ECs presents the optimal balance between cell viability and PGI2 functionality.
• This finding is critical for selecting the best cells for human blood vessel tissue engineering protocols.