Endothelial cell seeding of prosthetic vascular grafts: early experimental studies with cultured autologous canine endothelium.

Thirteen adult dogs underwent thoracoabdominal bypass operations with 6-mm, double-velour Dacron grafts 25 to 30 cm long. Experimental grafts were seeded with cultured autologous endothelial cells (n = 7). Unseeded grafts served as controls (n = 6). Endothelial cells were harvested from external jugular vein segments using 0.1% trypsin and 0.5% collagenase solutions. Grafts were studied at weeks 2 and 4. Endothelial cell coverage of experimental graft surfaces after two weeks was 60% to 70%, and approximately 80% after four weeks. Immunofluorescence using factor VIII-related antigen confirmed the graft's inner surface to be endothelium. Endothelial cell coverage in control grafts occurred as pannus ingrowth, and never exceeded more than 10% of the conduit surface. Generation of an early endothelial surface in prosthetic grafts is possible in a canine model using cultured autologous cells.