Abstract
The small-diameter (less than 6.0 mm in diameter) vascular grafts are highly desired due to a large demand of surgical revascularization. In this study, a small-diameter (6mm) vascular graft was prepared with braided Bombyx mori silk fiber tube coated by B. mori silk fibroin aqueous solution, with the goal of achieving sufficient physical strength and good patency of long term. The mechanical properties were evaluated by circumferential tensile test and suture strength test, indicating that the properties were improved remarkably by silk coating. The braiding silk fibroin graft was also evaluated by implantation into the dog abdominal aorta. The color doppler sonography after implantation for 11 months showed that there are neither dilatation nor constriction. At 2 years after implantation of the grafts in dog abdominal aorta, the graft patency and endothelial cell lining of the lumen surfaces were observed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using braiding silk fibroin vascular graft as a small diameter vascular graft with long term patency.
