Mechanical Properties and Biological Behavior of 3D Matrices Produced by Electrospinning from Protein-Enriched Polyurethane

Abstract

Properties of matrices manufactured by electrospinning from solutions of polyurethane Tecoflex EG-80A with gelatin in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol were studied. The concentration of gelatin added to the electrospinning solution was shown to influence the mechanical properties of matrices: the dependence of matrix tensile strength on protein concentration is described by a bell-shaped curve and an increase in gelatin concentration added to the elasticity of the samples. SEM, FTIR spectroscopy, and mechanical testing demonstrate that incubation of matrices in phosphate buffer changes the structure of the fibers and alters the polyurethane-gelatin interactions, increasing matrix durability. The ability of the matrices to maintain adhesion and proliferation of human endothelial cells was studied. The results suggest that matrices made of 3% polyurethane solution with 15% gelatin (wt/wt) and treated with glutaraldehyde are the optimal variant for cultivation of endothelial cells.

In Vivo Stability of Polyurethane-Based Electrospun Vascular Grafts in Terms of Chemistry and Mechanics

“…As is known, the addition of protein to the solutions for ES not only provides a long-term exposure of the protein to the surface of fibers [12], but also increases the strength of the produced materials [20,26]. The materials with an implicit fiber orientation were obtained under the described ES conditions [20].…”

“…As is known, the addition of protein to the solutions for ES not only provides a long-term exposure of the protein to the surface of fibers [12], but also increases the strength of the produced materials [20,26]. The materials with an implicit fiber orientation were obtained under the described ES conditions [20]. The exposure of GL on the surface of the 3D matrices produced by the ES of polyurethanes ensures that human primary endotheliocytes properly attach to these matrices and proliferate, whereas BV reduces blood cell adhesion [21].…”

“…Such fibers expose both synthetic and natural polymers on their surface and mimic well the extracellular matrix [19]. In addition, the polymer mixtures make it possible to produce materials with upgraded physical, mechanical, and chemical properties compared with the initial polymers [20].…”

“…When an important fragment of tissue or organ, for example, a region of a blood vessel, is remodeled, the strength of the used construct and its long-term functional stability are the decisive characteristics of such a VG, since its untimely destruction may have a lethal outcome. In earlier papers, we have demonstrated that the 3D matrices produced from protein-enriched polyurethanes possess good mechanical properties, and structural stability in vitro, bio-and hemocompatibilities, and are, thus, valuable materials for the production of small-diameter vascular grafts [19][20][21].…”

“…The VGs were implanted in the rat abdominal aorta and explanted after 12 or 24 weeks to assess the biostability of these two types of polyurethane molecules; in addition, the tensile strength of explanted VGs made of Tec-80A was estimated. The VGs were produced of the blends of these polymers with gelatin (and a thin inner layer of gelatin and bivalirudin) because we have previously demonstrated that the 3D matrices produced from these blends are well bio-and hemocompatible, stronger than those of pure polyurethanes, and thus are valuable materials for VG production [19,20].…”