Viscoelastic Testing Methodologies for Tissue Engineered Blood Vessels

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (7) ◽  
pp. 1176-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph D. Berglund ◽  
Robert M. Nerem ◽  
Athanassios Sambanis
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Uniaxial Tensile ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Uniaxial Tensile Testing ◽  
Modeling Systems ◽  
Tissue Engineered Blood Vessels ◽  
Linear Viscoelastic

In order to function in vivo, tissue engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) must encumber pulsatile blood flow and withstand hemodynamic pressures for long periods of time. To date TEBV mechanical assessment has typically relied on single time point burst and/or uniaxial tensile testing to gauge the strengths of the constructs. This study extends this analysis to include creep and stepwise stress relaxation viscoelastic testing methodologies. TEBV models exhibiting diverse mechanical behaviors as a result of different architectures ranging from reconstituted collagen gels to hybrid constructs reinforced with either untreated or glutaraldhyde-crosslinked collagen supports were evaluated after 8 and 23 days of in vitro culturing. Data were modeled using three and four-parameter linear viscoelastic mathematical representations and compared to porcine carotid arteries. While glutaraldhyde-treated hybrid TEBVs exhibited the largest overall strengths and toughness, uncrosslinked hybrid samples exhibited time-dependent behaviors most similar to native arteries. These findings emphasize the importance of viscoelastic characterization when evaluating the mechanical performance of TEBVs. Limits of testing methods and modeling systems are presented and discussed.

scholarly journals Cross-linking Electrospun Polydioxanone-Soluble Elastin Blends: Material Characterization

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 155892500800300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. McClure ◽  
Scott A. Sell ◽  
Catherine P. Barnes ◽  
Whitney C. Bowen ◽  
Gary L. Bowlin
Keyword(s):  
Femoral Artery ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Uniaxial Tensile ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Materials Testing ◽  
Uniaxial Tensile Testing ◽  
The Cross

The purpose of this study was to establish whether material properties of elastin co-electrospun with polydioxanone (PDO) would change over time in both the uncross-linked state and the cross-linked state. First, uncross-linked scaffolds were placed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for three separate time periods: 15 minutes, 1 hour, and 24 hours, and subsequently tested using uniaxial materials testing. Several cross-linking reagents were then investigated to verify their ability to crosslink elastin: 1–ethyl-3–(dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC), ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE), and genipin. Uniaxial tensile testing was performed on scaffolds cross-linked with EDC and genipin, yielding results that warranted further investigation for PDO-elastin blends. Material properties of the cross-linked scaffolds were then found within range of both pig femoral artery and human femoral artery. These results demonstrate PDO-elastin blends could potentially be favorable as vascular grafts, thus warranting future in vitro and in vivo studies.

EXTRAHEPATIC AND EXTRARENAL RENIN INACTIVATION IN THE DOG

1974 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-222
Author(s):  
R. FAGARD ◽  
E. FOSSION ◽  
M. CAMPFORTS ◽  
A. AMERY
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Pulmonary Circulation ◽  
Plasma Renin ◽  
Glass Container ◽  
Plasma Renin Concentration ◽  
Vascular Beds ◽  
Extrarenal Renin

SUMMARY It was demonstrated previously that renin disappears quickly from the circulation after nephrectomy in the hepatectomized dog. In the present study the plasma renin concentration (PRC) was measured in the efferent and afferent blood vessels of several vascular beds (pulmonary circulation, splanchnic region, spleen, both inferior limbs and pelvis, head) in the anhepatic and in the anhepatic and anephric dog in order to investigate extrarenal and extrahepatic renin inactivation. However, no significant arteriovenous differences in PRC could be traced. The blood of these dogs kept in vitro at 37 °C in a glass container showed no decline in PRC within 3 h of removal. Therefore no specific extrahepatic and extrarenal renin-inactivating mechanism was found which could explain the rapid disappearance of renin from the blood in vivo in the anhepatic and anephric dog.

Recombinant TAT-Thymosin β-4 Promotes Angiogenesis by Activating VEGFR2 Signaling Pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chul Min Kim ◽  
Yun-Mi Jeong ◽  
Jae-Hun Kim ◽  
Guolong Jin ◽  
Hyeongkwon Oh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Common Type ◽  
Cell Penetrating Peptide ◽  
Angiogenic Potential ◽  
Angiogenic Effect ◽  
Vegfr2 Signaling

Abstract Thymosin β-4 is a 43-amino acid intracellular polypeptide that was originally isolated from bovine thymus. Of the 16 known thymosin families, thymosin β-4 is the most common type found in all tissues. Thymosin β-4 regulates angiogenesis, cell differentiation, morphogenesis, migration, and organogenesis and is linked to a dynamic equilibrium between G-actin and F-actin. In particular, thymosin β-4 is well-known for its angiogenic and anti-apoptotic functions. In this study, we synthesized thymosin β-4 linked with the well-known cell-penetrating peptide TAT (YGRKKRRRQRRR). TAT-thymosin β-4 promotes angiogenesis and cell migration in vitro via the VEGFR2 signaling pathway and reduces apoptosis. To examine angiogenic potential in vivo, a Matrigel Plus assay was conducted that revealed the angiogenic effect of TAT-thymosin β-4. In conclusion, TAT-thymosin β-4 promotes blood vessels and is expected to be applicable in regenerative medicine for all organs requiring blood vessels.

scholarly journals The selective binding and transmigration of monocytes through the junctional complexes of human endothelium.

1988 ◽  
Vol 168 (5) ◽  
pp. 1865-1882 ◽  
Author(s):  
N A Pawlowski ◽  
G Kaplan ◽  
E Abraham ◽  
Z A Cohn
Keyword(s):  
Silver Staining ◽  
Umbilical Vein ◽  
Collagen Gel ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Silver Stain ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Topographical Distribution ◽  
Junctional Complexes

Human monocytes show a high affinity for vascular endothelium both in vitro and in vivo. To explore monocyte-endothelial interaction in greater detail, we have developed a new in vitro model for growth of human endothelial cells (EC). Human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) cultured upon collagen gels form confluent monolayers of EC that bind silver at their intercellular border similar to cells in situ. Intercellular junctional structures, both adherens and tight junctions, were identified. In contrast, HUVEC grown on plastic surfaces did not stain with silver. The silver-staining characteristic of EC-collagen monolayers was reversible and related to their in vitro maturation and senescence. Silver staining of EC borders provided a grid by which the location of monocyte binding to the luminal surface of individual EC could be assessed. Using this technique, we found that monocytes preferentially bound to the margins of EC, in approximation to the silver-staining junctions. These results suggest that EC determinants recognized by monocytes occur in a unique topographical distribution on the apical face of EC. After binding, monocytes migrated through the EC monolayers at high basal rates. The lack of penetration of collagen gels in the absence of an EC monolayer suggested the generation of EC-specific chemotactic signal(s). Monocytes were observed to pass between EC without evidence of disruption of the monolayer. Silver stain remained present during all phases of migration, and under transmission electron microscopy, junctional complexes were found proximal to monocytes that had just completed their passage through the monolayer. After orientation to the basal surface of the EC monolayer, monocytes migrated randomly into the underlying collagen gel. Monocyte adherence, penetration, migration, and long term survival can be studied under these conditions.

scholarly journals Amylin: Localization, Effects on Cerebral Arteries and on Local Cerebral Blood Flow in the Cat

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 168-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Edvinsson ◽  
Peter J. Goadsby ◽  
Rolf Uddman
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Cerebral Blood Flow ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Cerebral Blood Vessels ◽  
Local Cerebral Blood Flow ◽  
Doppler Flowmetry

Amylin and adrenomedullin are two peptides structurally related to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). We studied the occurrence of amylin in trigeminal ganglia and cerebral blood vessels of the cat with immunocytochemistry and evaluated the role of amylin and adrenomedullin in the cerebral circulation by in vitro and in vivo pharmacology. Immunocytochemistry revealed that numerous nerve cell bodies in the trigeminal ganglion contained CGRP immunoreactivity (-ir); some of these also expressed amylin-ir but none adrenomedullin-ir. There were numerous nerve fibres surrounding cerebral blood vessels that contained CGRP-ir. Occasional fibres contained amylin-ir while we observed no adrenomedullin-ir in the vessel walls. With RT-PCR and Real-Time�PCR we revealed the presence of mRNA for calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLRL) and receptor-activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) in cat cerebral arteries. In vitro studies revealed that amylin, adrenomedullin, and CGRP relaxed ring segments of the cat middle cerebral artery. CGRP and amylin caused concentration-dependent relaxations at low concentrations of PGF2a-precontracted segment (with or without endothelium) whereas only at high concentration did adrenomedullin cause relaxation. CGRP8-37 blocked the CGRP and amylin induced relaxations in a parallel fashion. In vivo studies of amylin, adrenomedullin, and CGRP showed a brisk reproducible increase in local cerebral blood flow as examined using laser Doppler flowmetry applied to the cerebral cortex of the a-chloralose�anesthetized cat. The responses to amylin and CGRP were blocked by CGRP8-37. The studies suggest that there is a functional sub-set of amylin-containing trigeminal neurons which probably act via CGRP receptors.

Scaffolds in tissue engineering of blood vessels

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 855-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya Pankajakshan ◽  
Devendra K. Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Vascular Tissue ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Biological Scaffolds ◽  
Hemodynamic Forces ◽  
Biodegradable Scaffolds

Tissue engineering of small diameter (<5 mm) blood vessels is a promising approach for developing viable alternatives to autologous vascular grafts. It involves in vitro seeding of cells onto a scaffold on which the cells attach, proliferate, and differentiate while secreting the components of extracellular matrix that are required for creating the tissue. The scaffold should provide the initial requisite mechanical strength to withstand in vivo hemodynamic forces until vascular smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts reinforce the extracellular matrix of the vessel wall. Hence, the choice of scaffold is crucial for providing guidance cues to the cells to behave in the required manner to produce tissues and organs of the desired shape and size. Several types of scaffolds have been used for the reconstruction of blood vessels. They can be broadly classified as biological scaffolds, decellularized matrices, and polymeric biodegradable scaffolds. This review focuses on the different types of scaffolds that have been designed, developed, and tested for tissue engineering of blood vessels, including use of stem cells in vascular tissue engineering.

Association between tension and orientation of periodontal ligament fibroblasts and exogenous collagen fibres in collagen gels in vitro

1982 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
C.G. Bellows ◽  
A.H. Melcher ◽  
J.E. Aubin
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Lower Surface ◽  
Cytochalasin D ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Collagen Fibres ◽  
Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Develop Tension

The relationship between the development of tension in sheets of fibroblasts and the orientation of these cells and collagen fibres in collagen gels was examined. Cell-containing, three-dimensional collagen gels were established in agarose-coated Epon dies measuring 10 mm X 4 mm X 4 mm, to which pieces of demineralized tooth and bone had been attached at opposite ends. Contraction of the gel into an opaque structure suspended between the two particles occurred over 24 h and resulted in concave upper and lateral surfaces and a flat to slightly concave lower surface. Initial orientation of the fibres along the tooth-bone axis was followed by similar orientation of the cells. Gels cast without cells exhibited no change in dimensions. Release of the tooth particle after 12 or 24 h of incubation led to shortening of the contracted gels 5 min following release. This shortening was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) than that of uncontracted or slightly contracted gels (1 h and 3 h incubation). Gels attached at one end only compacted around the site of attachment but did not show orientation of cells or fibres. Gels containing colcemid or cytochalasin D were only slightly compacted and did not develop tension. Collagen fibres, but not cell in colcemid-containing gels, showed some alignment; neither were aligned in the presence of cytochalasin D. These data suggest that both microtubules and microfilaments are necessary for alignment of cells and the establishment of tension between two points of attachment in collagen gels. Furthermore, they lend support to our previously advanced hypothesis that the development of tension between two points can result in the orientation of the cells along an axis connecting the points of attachment. This could provide a mechanism for the development of oriented fibre systems in vivo.

Abstract 237: PRMT1-p53-Slug Axis Regulates Epicardial EMT and Ventricular Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olan Jackson-Weaver ◽  
Jian Wu ◽  
Yongchao Gou ◽  
Yibu Chen ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Heart Development ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
P53 Expression ◽  
Epicardial Cells ◽  
Coronary Blood Vessels

Rationale: Epicardial epithelial-to-mesenchymal trasition (EMT) is a vital process in embryonic heart development. During EMT, epicardial cells acquire migratory and invasive properties, and differentiate into new cell types, including cardiac fibroblasts and coronary smooth muscle cells. Non-histone protein methylation is an emerging modulator of cell signaling. We have recently established a role for protein arginine methyltransferase-1 (PRMT1) in TGF-β-induced EMT in cultured cells. Objective: To determine the role of PRMT1 in epicardial EMT. Methods and Results: We investigated the role of PRMT1 in epicardial EMT in mouse epicardial cells. Embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5) tamoxifen administration of WT1-Cre ERT ;PRMT1 fl/fl ;ROSA-YFP fl/fl mouse embryos was used to delete PRMT1 in the epicardium. Epicardial PRMT1 deletion led to reduced epicardial migration into the myocardium, a thinner compact myocardial layer, and dilated coronary blood vessels at E15.5. Using the epicardial cell line MEC1, we found that PRMT1 siRNA prevented the increase in mesenchymal proteins Slug and Fibronectin and the decrease in epithelial protein E-Cadherin during TGF-β treatment-induced EMT. PRMT1 siRNA also reduced the migration and invasion of MEC1 cells. We further identified that PRMT1 siRNA also increased the expression of p53, a key regulator of the Slug degradation pathway. PRMT1 siRNA increases p53 expression by decreasing p53 degradation, and shifted p53 localization to the cytoplasm. In vitro methylation assays further demonstrated that PRMT1 methylates p53. Knockdown of p53 increased Slug levels and enhanced EMT, establishing p53 as a regulator of epicardial EMT through controlling Slug expression. Furthermore, RNAseq experiments in MEC1 cells demonstrated that 40% (545/1,351) of TGF-β-induced transcriptional changes were prevented by PRMT1 siRNA. Furthermore, when p53 and PRMT1 were simultaneously knocked down, TGF-β induced transcriptional control of 37% (201/545) of these PRMT1-dependent genes was restored. Conclusions: The PRMT1-p53-Slug pathway is necessary for epicardial EMT in cultured MEC1 cells as well as in the epicardium in vivo . Epicardial PRMT1 is required for the development of compact myocardium and coronary blood vessels.

From local to global matrix organization by fibroblasts: a 4D laser-assisted bioprinting approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Douillet ◽  
Marc Nicodeme ◽  
Loïc Hermant ◽  
Vanessa Bergeron ◽  
Fabien Guillemot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Specific Pattern ◽  
Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Lattice Contraction

Abstract Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts play a central role in skin homeostasis through dermal organization and maintenance. Nonetheless, the dynamic interactions between (myo)fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix (ECM) remain poorly exploited in skin repair strategies. Indeed, there is still an unmet need for soft tissue models allowing to study the spatial-temporal remodeling properties of (myo)fibroblasts. In vivo, wound healing studies in animals are limited by species specificity. In vitro, most models rely on collagen gels reorganized by randomly distributed fibroblasts. But biofabrication technologies have significantly evolved over the past ten years. High-resolution bioprinting now allows to investigate various cellular micropatterns and the emergent tissue organizations over time. In order to harness the full dynamic properties of cells and active biomaterials, it is essential to consider “time” as the 4th dimension in soft tissue design. Following this 4D bioprinting approach, we aimed to develop a novel model that could replicate fibroblast dynamic remodeling in vitro. For this purpose, (myo)fibroblasts were patterned on collagen gels with laser-assisted bioprinting (LAB) to study the generated matrix deformations and reorganizations. First, distinct populations, mainly composed of fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, were established in vitro to account for the variety of fibroblastic remodeling properties. Then, LAB was used to organize both populations on collagen gels in even isotropic patterns with high resolution, high density and high viability. With maturation, bioprinted patterns of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts reorganized into dispersed or aggregated cells, respectively. Stress-release contraction assays revealed that these phenotype-specific pattern maturations were associated with distinct lattice tension states. The two populations were then patterned in anisotropic rows in order to direct the cell-generated deformations and to orient global matrix remodeling. Only maturation of anisotropic fibroblast patterns, but not myofibroblasts, resulted in collagen anisotropic reorganizations both at tissue-scale, with lattice contraction, and at microscale, with embedded microbead displacements. Following a 4D bioprinting approach, LAB patterning enabled to elicit and orient the dynamic matrix remodeling mechanisms of distinct fibroblastic populations and organizations on collagen. For future studies, this method provides a new versatile tool to investigate in vitro dermal organizations and properties, processes of remodeling in healing, and new treatment opportunities.

scholarly journals Elastomeric Electrospun Scaffolds of a Biodegradable Aliphatic Copolyester Containing PEG-Like Sequences for Dynamic Culture of Human Endothelial Cells

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1620
Author(s):  
Luca Fusaro ◽  
Chiara Gualandi ◽  
Diego Antonioli ◽  
Michelina Soccio ◽  
Anna Liguori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Vascular Tissue ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Cell Activity ◽  
Mechanical Tests ◽  
Cyclic Stretch ◽  
Biological Characterization ◽  
The Right

In the field of artificial prostheses for damaged vessel replacement, polymeric scaffolds showing the right combination of mechanical performance, biocompatibility, and biodegradability are still demanded. In the present work, poly(butylene-co-triethylene trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate), a biodegradable random aliphatic copolyester, has been synthesized and electrospun in form of aligned and random fibers properly designed for vascular applications. The obtained materials were analyzed through tensile and dynamic-mechanical tests, the latter performed under conditions simulating the mechanical contraction of vascular tissue. Furthermore, the in vitro biological characterization, in terms of hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility in static and dynamic conditions, was also carried out. The mechanical properties of the investigated scaffolds fit within the range of physiological properties for medium- and small-caliber blood vessels, and the aligned scaffolds displayed a strain-stiffening behavior typical of the blood vessels. Furthermore, all the produced scaffolds showed constant storage and loss moduli in the investigated timeframe (24 h), demonstrating the stability of the scaffolds under the applied conditions of mechanical deformation. The biological characterization highlighted that the mats showed high hemocompatibility and low probability of thrombus formation; finally, the cytocompatibility tests demonstrated that cyclic stretch of electrospun fibers increased endothelial cell activity and proliferation, in particular on aligned scaffolds.

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