Effects of in vitro aging on human endothelial cell adherence to dacron vascular graft material

The adherence and growth characteristics of cultured human adult large vessel endothelial cells (EC) maintained on substrate-coated polyethylene terephthalate in the form of woven dacron vascular graft were examined. Two different populations of EC, a low passage (EC (low] and a high passage (EC (high] population, were incubated at cell densities from 10(3) to 10(5) EC/cm2 for 24 hr. Cell counts were performed at 24 hr and after 14 days in tissue culture. At 24 hr on collagen I/III-coated Dacron, EC adherence was independent of the number of passages or the incubation density. When examined after 14 days in culture only EC (low) incubated at 10(5) EC/cm2 maintained initial cell numbers. Human plasma precipitated upon Dacron was necessary before significant cell growth occurred. We conclude that increasing in vitro EC age is associated with decreasing attachment and growth on Dacron. Growth on this important vascular replacement surface requires low passage EC incubated at a high density and the presence of plasma proteins in the substrate coating.