[A small-caliber synthetic vascular prosthesis prelined with autogenous canine endothelial cells]

Endothelial cells (ECs) were harvested enzymatically from external jugular veins of twelve dogs, and were cultured to confluency. A 4mm-Dacron graft coated with collagen was seeded with these ECs in vitro by rotation method to create a prelined graft. After 72-hour incubation, each graft was implanted to the femoral artery of the dog whose veins were removed already, with non-seeded control graft contralaterally. Eight prelined grafts were patent at four weeks (66.7%), while one control graft was patent (8.3%, p less than 0.05). The monolayer lining of the ECs was manifested microscopically in the midportion of the explanted prelined graft, but the patent control graft had only fibrin network in the luminal midportion. From this improved patency rate and the earlier endothelialization, the prelined graft with autogenous ECs has been expected to play an important role in development of a small-caliber vascular prosthesis.