Abstract
Since the commercially available small c alliber vascular prosthesis are not totally satisfactory in regard to long-term patency, an autogenous vein remains to be the best vascular conduit in distal bypass procedures at present. And hence an effort to explore thepossibilities of a new biol ogical prosthesiswas undertaken. Canine venous endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were harvested and cultured. A human umbilical vein graft (HUV) was stored for one month in the normal saline and thenimpregnated with SMCs and the ECs were seeded to it. In two weeks, the ECs formed a monolayer liningbut the spreading of SMCs was circumferential covering only some portions of the graft. The future study, we hope, will improve the results, with the technique of cells'implantation and culture in the graft modified.
