L'Heureux N, Germain L, Labbé R, Auger F A
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
J Vasc Surg. 1993 Mar;17(3):499-509. doi: 10.1067/mva.1993.38251.
The purpose of this study was to create a tubular vascular model exclusively made of human cells and collagen.
The blood vessel equivalent was constructed with the three following human cell types: vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. A tissuelike structure was obtained from the contraction of a tubular collagen gel (human origin) by vascular smooth muscle cells, which created a media-like structure. An adventitia-like tissue was added around the media-like structure by embedding fibroblasts into a collagen gel. An endothelium was established within the tubular structure after intraluminal cell seeding.
Cell orientation and gel contraction were followed up over time. Vascular smooth muscle cells developed a complex tridimensional network and were oriented in a circular fashion around the tube's axis. In contrast, fibroblasts were randomly oriented. A viable, homogeneous, and well-characterized endothelium was observed. These endothelial cells showed a slightly elongated structure and were oriented parallel to this vascular equivalent axis.
An in vitro tridimensional vascular model that exhibits some phenotypic characteristics of in vivo vascular cells could be useful in the study of events that lead to atherosclerotic plaque formations.
本研究的目的是创建一个完全由人类细胞和胶原蛋白制成的管状血管模型。
血管等效物由以下三种人类细胞类型构建而成：血管平滑肌细胞、内皮细胞和成纤维细胞。通过血管平滑肌细胞使管状胶原蛋白凝胶（源自人类）收缩，从而获得一种组织样结构，该结构形成了类似中膜的结构。通过将成纤维细胞嵌入胶原蛋白凝胶，在类似中膜的结构周围添加了类似外膜的组织。在管腔内接种细胞后，在管状结构内建立了内皮。
对细胞取向和凝胶收缩进行了长期跟踪。血管平滑肌细胞形成了一个复杂的三维网络，并围绕管轴呈环形排列。相比之下，成纤维细胞的取向是随机的。观察到一个有活力、均匀且特征明确的内皮。这些内皮细胞显示出略微拉长的结构，并与该血管等效物的轴平行排列。
一种体外三维血管模型，展现出体内血管细胞的一些表型特征，可能有助于研究导致动脉粥样硬化斑块形成的事件。
