Affiliations: [a]
Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, 228 Russ Engineering, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Dayton, OH, USA
| [b] Bioengineering Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA | [c] Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Nasim Nosoudi, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, Marshall University, 1676 Third Avenue, Huntington, WV 25755-2586, USA. E-mail: nosoudi@marshall.edu
Abstract: BACKGROUND:The main objective of tissue engineering is to fabricate a tissue construct that mimics native tissue both biologically and mechanically. A recurring problem for tissue-engineered blood vessels (TEBV) is deficient elastogenesis from seeded smooth muscle cells. Elastin is an integral mechanical component in blood vessels, allowing elastic deformation and retraction in response to the shear and pulsatile forces of the cardiac system. OBJECTIVE:The goal of this research is to assess the effect of the vitamin A derivative all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and polyphenol pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) on the expression of elastin in human aortic smooth muscle cells (hASMC). METHODS:A polycaprolactone (PCL) and the gelatin polymer composite was electrospun and doped with RA and PGG. The scaffolds were subsequently seeded with hASMCs and incubated for five weeks. The resulting tissue-engineered constructs were evaluated using qPCR and Fastin assay for their elastin expression and deposition. RESULTS:All treatments showed an increased elastin expression compared to the control, with PGG treatments showing a significant increase in gene expression and elastin deposition.
