Flow-dependent re-endothelialization of tissue-engineered heart valves.

Abstract

Moderate pulsatile flow with small increments stimulates EC proliferation on the ovine decellularized valve scaffold. A rapid increase in bioreactor flow to physiological levels leads to significant damage of the reseeded endothelium and complete loss of cusp cellularity. This effect may be responsible for the in-vivo failure of static reseeded tissue-engineered valves exposed to physiological hemodynamic forces.