A morphological investigation of the polyhydroxybutyrate/valerate and polycaprolactone biodegradable small-diameter vascular graft biocompatibility

We studied the integration of polyhydroxybutyrate/ valerate (PHBV)/polycaprolactone (PCL) biodegradable electrospun vascular grafts with organism cells and tissues Grafts were implanted into abdominal aorta of Wistar rats for twelve months. All the grafts were patent during the whole period of implantation. Twelve months postimplantation, 25% of the grafts were intact, and 25% of the grafts had parietal thrombus only at anasthomotic sites and thrombusfree surface at all other sites Regarding other grafts, we revealed minor connective tissue hyperplasia in 41 7% of the grafts, and an inflammatory infiltrate in the part of the arterial wall in 8. 3% of the grafts. Using original technique of the morphological investigation, we found that polymer degradation was accompanied by the replacement of the graft wall by various cells (macrophages, fibroblast-like cells, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells) with the formation of extracellular matrix instead of the polymer scaffold Therefore, long-term patency and the results of the morphological study confirmed the possibility to use PHBV/PCL tubular polymer construct in the creation of small-diameter vascular grafts

biocompatible biodegradable polymers, small-diameter vascular graft, morphological studies