A device permitting homogeneous endothelial cell seeding of a small-caliber arterial prosthesis has been developed.The prosthesis is maintained firmly attached to a rotative scaffolding device. This device is activated by an electrical motor at constant and adjustable speed. The whole system is maintained at 37°C in a cell culture incubator. The 4 mm internal diameter polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) prosthesis was coated with biological glue and seeded with human saphenous vein endothelial cells obtained by mechanical detachment. Cell seeding density was 2.104 cells/cm2 (Group A, n = 6) or lo5 cells/cm2 (Group B, n = 6 ) . Rotation speed was 8 revolutions per hour (rph) during 90 min. Analysis of the homogeneity of cell seeding was permitted by cell counts on five different segments of the prosthesis. Each longitudinal segment

A prosthesis was designed to protect the intestinal loop from external beam radiation therapy, when postoperative radiation is indicated. It is a silicone-made inflatable balloon, the implantation of which permits to drive the intestinal loops out of the irradiation field, and which is easy to remove after radiation therapy. The device has been used in 7 patients, 4 patients with a retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma and 3 patients with recurrent pelvic tumor. After surgical resection of the tumor the device is placed either in the retroperitoneal space or in the pelvic cavity. A polyglactine 910 mesh is placed between the spacer and the bowel to prevent loop incarceration. The prosthesis can be emptied between each radiation course and then removed through a 3-cm incision under local or locoregional anesthesia. The tolerance of the small intestine of the radiation therapy has been satisfactory in each case with no bowel injury due to radiation. Therefore, this simple device might be useful in order to prevent bowel injury during postoperative radiation in the treatment of abdominal and retroperitoneal tumor masses when indicated.

Some histological features of canine cardiac transplants JACQUELINE LEANDRI From the Centre d'Etudes des Technziques Chirurgicales (C.N.R.S.), Hopital Broussais, 96 Rue Didot, 75 Paris (14), France

Physical vapour deposition is used to coat vascular prostheses with pyrolytic carbon. This coating may facilitate the development of an endothelial monolayer in grafts implanted in laboratory animals. This in vitro study compared the adherence and growth of cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells (EC) seeded in vitro on carbon-coated Dacron, to uncoated prostheses. The cells were incubated at 5 x 10(4) cells/cm2. Progress was monitored at different times (TO + 2 hours, D 1, D 4, D 8) by microscopic observation, when cell counts were made; and by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) to evaluate morphological EC-graft interactions. Cell adherence was independent of the carbon coating but cellular growth occurred only on carbon-coated Dacron. The SEM observations showed both the shape of the adherent cells, which were rounded on uncoated Dacron and extensively spread on carbon-coated prostheses, and the morphology of the carbon coating.

No abstract