Poly-L-lactic Acid (PLLA)-Chitosan-Collagen Electrospun Tube for Vascular Graft Application

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Developing synthetic vascular grafts is crucial for treating cardiovascular diseases.
• Poly-L-Lactic acid (PLLA) is a biocompatible polymer, but often requires modification to enhance its performance for vascular applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize electrospun conduits using Poly-L-Lactic acid (PLLA) blended with chitosan and collagen for blood vessel engineering.
• To investigate the effect of varying chitosan concentrations on the conduit's properties.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning was employed to fabricate PLLA-chitosan-collagen blends.
• Conduits were assessed for morphology, chemical bonding, tensile strength, burst pressure, hemocompatibility (hemolysis), and cell viability (cytotoxicity).

Main Results:

• The addition of chitosan and collagen improved hemocompatibility and cell viability.
• The optimal conduit (10% PLLA, 0.5% chitosan, 1% collagen) exhibited a tensile strength of 2.13 MPa and burst pressure of 2593 mmHg.
• Hemolysis was 1.04% and cell viability was 86.2%, meeting standards for vascular graft materials.

Conclusions:

• The PLLA-chitosan-collagen electrospun conduit demonstrates excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
• This material shows significant potential for future development as a vascular graft substitute.