Cultured rabbit vesical smooth muscle cells for lining of dissolvable synthetic prosthesis.

For prosthetic use in genitourinary operations we investigated the feasibility of producing grafts from cultured smooth muscle cells on absorbable synthetic biomaterial. Biopsies of bladder wall muscle without mucosa were obtained from 20 rabbits for culture of smooth muscle cells; cultured cells were examined by light and electron microscopy. Those cells were grown in subculture on a microfiber mesh carrier woven from 35-denier polyglycolic acid fibers. As shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), complete coverage of the synthetic fabric was achieved after ten to fourteen days of subculture.