Abstract
The aim of the histological study was to evaluate the cellular infiltration and wall composition of bioengineered aortic grafts after 10 weeks and after 6 months of implantation as a carotid artery bypass in rabbit. The grafts were not suitable for routine histological processing and they were partially disintegrated during embedding and sectioning.
The grafts seemed to be well tolerated and no adverse tissue reaction was found. However, the grafts did not offer sufficient support and differentiation niches for cells infiltrating the grafts.
The thin-walled grafts were never populated by substantial amounts of cells that would be able to produce the usual connective tissue matrix collagen and elastin fibres or to form the regular tunica media of elastic arteries with concentric layers of elastin, vascular smooth muscle cells, and collagen (Shadwick, 1999). From histological point of view, the grafts did not develop structural similarities with carotid artery.