The seeding of human aortic endothelial cells on the extra-cellular matrix of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

A post confluent layer (6th passage) of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was treated with 3 mM ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) to expose the subendothelial extra-cellular matrix (ECM). Normal human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) harvested by mechanical scraping were seeded onto the ECM of the HUVECs. The cells quickly attached and proliferated with normal morphology. To ensure confluency the HAECs were pooled after a brief trypsin/EDTA incubation and seeded onto the ECM of the same HUVECs (6th passage) cell line. They attached within 2 hours, and the cells grew to confluence displaying cobblestone morphology characteristic of phenotypic endothelium. HUVECs (11th passage) were seeded onto (6th passage) HUVECs ECM. The cells attached, proliferated to confluence within the normal time interval (7-8 days) and were positively characterized. A Corvita 6mm graft supplied with a gelatin/heparin matrix was densely seeded with HUVECs (6th passage). These cells also proliferated to confluence. The implications for improving the design of arterial grafts are discussed.