Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular prostheses seeded with enzymatically derived and cultured canine endothelial cells.

Thirteen adult dogs underwent thoracoabdominal bypass operations with 6 or 10 mm expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts 25 to 30 cm long. Eight experimental grafts were seeded with cultured autologous endothelial cells prior to implantation. Five unseeded grafts served as controls. Endothelial cells, derived from external jugular vein segments using 0.1% trypsin and 0.5% collagenase solutions, were cultivated for 14 days prior to seeding. Grafts were studied at 2 and 4 weeks after implantation. Endothelial linings in control grafts were restricted to limited anastomotic pannus ingrowths, never exceeding 10% of the graft surface. Experimental grafts demonstrated an endothelial surface coverage averaging 64% and 91% at 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. Generation of an early lining of endothelium in expanded PTFE grafts is possible in a canine model using cultured autologous cells.