In vitro construction of a human blood vessel from cultured vascular cells: a morphologic study.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to create a tubular vascular model exclusively made of human cells and collagen.

METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSION

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.