Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025
Implantation of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Graft in Mouse Carotid Artery via Cuff Technique
Published on: May 2, 2025
Endothelium-Mimicking Bilayer Vascular Grafts with Dual-Releasing of NO/H2S for Anti-Inflammation and
Lijuan Wang1,2, Fubang Liang3,2, Yushuang Shang1,2
1Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bio-Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Vascular complications caused by diabetes impair the activities of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), resulting in decreased physiological levels of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The low bioavailability of NO and H2S hinders the endothelialization of vascular grafts. In this study, endothelium-mimicking bilayer vascular grafts were designed with spatiotemporally controlled dual releases of NO and H2S for in situ endothelialization and angiogenesis. Keratin-based H2S donor was synthesized and electrospun with poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) as the outer layer of the graft to release H2S. Hyaluronic acid, one of the major glycosaminoglycans in endothelial glycocalyx, was complexed with Cu ions as the inner layer to mimic glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and maintain long-term physiological NO flux. The synergistic effects of NO and H2S of bilayer grafts selectively promoted the regeneration and migration of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs), while inhibiting the overproliferation of human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells (HUASMCs). Bilayer grafts could effectively prevent vascular calcification, reduce inflammation, and alleviate endothelial dysfunction. The in vivo study in a rat abdominal aorta replacement model for 1 month showed that the graft had a good patency rate and had potential for vascular remodeling in situ.
