Engineering Interaction between Bone Marrow Derived Endothelial Cells and Electrospun Surfaces for Artificial Vascular Graft Applications

The aim of this investigation was to understand and engineer the interactions between endothelial cells and the electrospun (ES) polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber surfaces and evaluate their potential for endothelialization. Elastomeric PVDF-HFP samples were electrospun to evaluate their potential use as small diameter artificial vascular graft scaffold (SDAVG) and compared with solvent cast (SC) PVDF-HFP films. We examined the consequences of fibrinogen adsorption onto the ES and SC samples for endothelialisation. Bone marrow derived endothelial cells (BMEC) of human origin were incubated with the test and control samples and their attachment, proliferation, and viability were examined. The nature of interaction of fibrinogen with SC and ES samples was investigated in detail using ELISA, XPS, and FTIR techniques. The pristine SC and ES PVDF-HFP samples displayed hydrophobic and ultrahydrophobic behavior and accordingly, exhibited minimal BMEC growth. Fibrinogen adsorbed SC samples did not significantly enhance endothelial cell binding or proliferation. In contrast, the fibrinogen adsorbed electrospun surfaces showed a clear ability to modulate endothelial cell behavior. This system also represents an ideal model system that enables us to understand the natural interaction between cells and their extracellular environment. The research reported shows potential of ES surfaces for artificial vascular graft applications.