Endothelial cell seeding efficiency onto expanded polytetrafluorethylene grafts with different coatings.

Abstract

Initial adherence of 111Indium-oxine labeled, cultured canine venous endothelial cells to expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) grafts was evaluated using different precoatings of the surface or different pretreated cells. The precoatings evaluated consisted of blood for 5 (Group I) or 15 min (Group II), fibronectin (Group IV), and cryoprecipitate (Group VI). In addition to endothelial cells subcultured immediately before labeling, cells subcultured 48 hours prior to labeling and kept in suspension were studied. Such cells were evaluated on grafts precoated with blood for 5 min (Group III) and fibronectin precoated surfaces (Group V). The amount of fibronectin that adhered to the graft surface with our technique was less den 1%. Seeding efficiency was higher with the blood precoated surfaces (5.3, 3.0, 2.2% in Groups I, II and III respectively) than fibronectin (1.7%, 1.7% in Groups IV, V respectively) or cryoprecipitate (1.9%, Group VI) precoated surfaces. No significant difference between cells immediately subcultured and these kept in suspension for 48 hours regarding adherence to blood (5.3 vs. 2.2%) or fibronectin precoated (1.7 vs. 1.7%) grafts was documented. The seeding efficiency of ePTFE grafts is low and further efforts to improve adherence must be made. From the present studies we recommend the use of blood precoating for about 5 min followed by cell incubation for approximately 10 min in order to achieve optimal seeding efficiency.