Chen Shen, Xie Chao, Long Xiaoxi, Wang Xianwei, Li Xudong, Liu Peng, Liu Jiabin, Wang Zuyong
Department of Vascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410001, People's Republic of China.
Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2025 Feb;22(2):195-210. doi: 10.1007/s13770-024-00691-9. Epub 2025 Jan 18.
Tissue engineering holds promise for vascular repair and regeneration by mimicking the extracellular matrix of blood vessels. However, achieving a functional and thick vascular wall with aligned fiber architecture by electrospinning remains a significant challenge.
A novel electrospinning setup was developed that utilizes an auxiliary electrode and a spring. The impact of process parameters on fiber size and morphology was investigated. The structure and functions of the scaffolds were evaluated through material characterization and assessments of cellular biocompatibility.
The new setup enabled controlled deposition of fibers in different designed orientations. The fabricated small-diameter vascular scaffolds consisted of an inner layer of longitudinally oriented fibers and an outer layer of circumferentially oriented fibers (L + C vascular scaffold). Key parameters, including rotational speed, the utilization of the auxiliary electrode, and top-to-collector distance (TCD) significantly influenced fiber orientation. Additionally, voltage, TCD, feed rate, needle size, auxiliary electrode and collector-auxiliary electrode distance affected fiber diameter and distribution. Mechanical advantages and improved surface wettability of L + C vascular scaffold were confirmed through tensile testing and water contact angle. Cellular experiments indicated that L + C vascular scaffold facilitated cell adhesion and proliferation, with human umbilical vein endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells attaching and elongating along the fiber direction of the inner and outer layer, respectively.
This study demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating fiber-aligned, thick-walled vascular scaffolds using a modified electrospinning setup. The findings provided insights into how the auxiliary electrode, specific collector influenced fiber deposition, potentially advancing biomimetic vascular scaffold engineering.
组织工程通过模拟血管的细胞外基质，为血管修复和再生带来了希望。然而，通过静电纺丝实现具有排列纤维结构的功能性厚血管壁仍然是一项重大挑战。
开发了一种利用辅助电极和弹簧的新型静电纺丝装置。研究了工艺参数对纤维尺寸和形态的影响。通过材料表征和细胞生物相容性评估来评价支架的结构和功能。
新装置能够控制纤维在不同设计方向上的沉积。制备的小直径血管支架由纵向排列纤维的内层和周向排列纤维的外层组成（L + C血管支架）。关键参数，包括转速、辅助电极的使用和顶到收集器距离（TCD）显著影响纤维取向。此外，电压、TCD、进料速率、针头尺寸、辅助电极和收集器-辅助电极距离影响纤维直径和分布。通过拉伸试验和水接触角证实了L + C血管支架的力学优势和改善的表面润湿性。细胞实验表明，L + C血管支架促进细胞黏附和增殖，人脐静脉内皮细胞和平滑肌细胞分别沿内层和外层的纤维方向附着和伸长。
本研究证明了使用改进的静电纺丝装置制造纤维排列、厚壁血管支架的可行性。这些发现为辅助电极和特定收集器如何影响纤维沉积提供了见解，可能推动仿生血管支架工程的发展。
