查看文章

The clinical translation of tissue-engineered vascular grafts has been demonstrated in children. The remodeling of biodegradable, cell-seeded scaffolds to functional neovessels has been partially attributed to matrix metalloproteinases. Noninvasive assessment of matrix metalloproteinase activity can indicate graft remodeling and elucidate the progression of neovessel formation. Therefore, matrix metalloproteinase activity was evaluated in grafts implanted in lambs using in vivo and ex vivo hybrid imaging. Graft growth and remodeling was quantified using in vivo x-ray computed tomography angiography.

Cell-seeded and unseeded scaffolds were implanted in 5 lambs as inferior vena cava interposition grafts. At 2 and 6 months after implantation, in vivo angiography was used to assess graft morphology. In vivo and ex vivo single photon emission tomography/computed tomography imaging was …