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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Orthotopic Aortic Transplantation: A Rat Model to Study the Development of Chronic Vasculopathy
Published on: December 5, 2010
[Experimental study on evolution of nano-biomimetic tissue engineered blood vessel after abdominal aorta
Xiaobing Zheng1, Lili Miao, Min Zhou
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Medical College of Nanjing University, Nanjing Jiangsu 210008, PR China.
Objective:
To develop an experimental model of abdominal aorta transplantation with nano-biomimetic tissue engineered blood vessel (NBTEBV) and to investigate the change of histomorphology in evolutionary process of degradation and remodeling.
Methods:
Twenty 6-month-old New Zealand rabbits were included, weighing 2-3 kg, male or female. The autologous seed cells of rabbits were harvested to build NBTEBV in vitro. After the branch of abdominal aorta under kidney was ligated, about 10 mm abdominal aorta was cut and replaced by NBTEBV; the anastomotic stoma was marked by Ti clips. NBTEBV's evolutionary processes of degradation and rebuilding were observed. Twelve weeks after operation, DSA and color Doppler examinations were made. At 1, 4 and 12 weeks after operation, the gross and histological observations were made and 14C binding in PLGA was detected with X-ray photon spectroscopy.
Results:
Of 20 rabbits, 17 showed that the NBTEBV was patency; 3 died from NBTEBV occlusion 36 or 72 hours after operation. The results of DAS and color Doppler showed the blood flow was patency, the blood flow rate was normal and there was no angiectasis. The lumen of transplanted blood vessel was covered with monolayer endothelial cells. At 1 week, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) arranged regularly and much PLGA distributed in the EMCs. At 4 weeks, SMCs arranged in a layer, ECM was forming, mimic ECM degraded partly; PLGA decreased obviously. At 12 weeks, the SMCs arranged regularly, ECM formed, mimic ECM degraded, no PLGA was seen in the wall, the shape of graft was similar to the natural vessel. The decreasing crest value of 14C in specimen showed the degradation of PLGA.
Conclusion:
NBTEBV has a good surgical maneuverability and histocompatibility, its remodeling evolutionary process fits in with tissue engineering specification. Building NBTEBV with ELSP is feasible.
