Electrostatic Endothelial Cell Seeding Technique for Small-Diameter (<6 MM) Vascular Prostheses: Feasibility Testing

Multiple studies have indicated the importance of surface charge in the adhesion of multiple cardiovascular cell lines including platelets and endothelial cells on the substrate materials (1,4,7-10,12-15). It is the purpose of this article to report a feasibility study conducted using an electrostatic endothelial cell seeding technique. The feasibility study was conducted using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), a static pool apparatus, a voltage source, and a parallel plate capacitor. The HUVEC concentration and seeding times were constant at 560,000 HUVEC/ml and 30 min, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy examination of the endothelial cell adhesion indicated that an induced temporary positive surface charge on e-PTFE graft material enhances the number and the maturation (flattening) of HUVECs adhered. The results indicated that the total number of endothelial cells adhered (70.9 mm²) was increased from 9198 ± 1194 HUVECs on the control (no induced surface charge) e-PTFE to 22,482 ± 4814 HUVECs (2.4 × control) on the maximum induced positive surface charge. The total number of cells in the flattened phase of adhesion increased from 837 ± 275 to 6785 ± 1012 HUVECs (8.1 ×) under identical conditions. Thus, the results of the feasibility study support the premise that electrostatic interaction is an important factor in both the endothelial cell adhesion and spreading processes and suggest that the electrostatic seeding technique may lead to an increased patency of small diameter (<6 mm) vascular prostheses.