D. Stone et al., A biologically active VEGF construct in vitro: Implications for bioengineering-improved prosthetic vascular grafts, J BIOMED MR, 59(1), 2002, pp. 160-165
Prosthetic arterial grafts are unable to develop an intact endothelial lini
ng after implantation, predisposing them to fail. Strategies have been soug
ht to enhance endothelialization using growth factors and cytokines. This s
tudy assessed the biologic activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF) covalently linked to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Native and modified
VEGF were assayed for endothelial cell migration and proliferation. Migrati
on assays were performed comparing the effects of 2% fetal bovine serum (FB
S), 50 ng/mL, 100 ng/mL, and 200 ng/mL of native VEGF and VEGF-BSA. Prolife
ration assays were performed by using Alamar Blue comparing cellular growth
in 1% FBS, 10% FBS, 100 ng/mL unbound VEGF, and 100 ng/mL VEGF-BSA. VEGF i
s a potent chemotactic agent for endothelial cells in both unbound and boun
d states. Native VEGF solutions (50 ng/mL, 100 ng/mL, and 200 ng/mL) stimul
ated 23.9 cells/high power field (HPF), 35.3 cells/HPF, and 49.1 cells/HPF
(12 < 0.005). VEGF-BSA solutions stimulated 25.9 cells/HPF, 39.1 cells/HPF,
and 69.0 cells/HPF (p < 0.001). VEGF-BSA and native VEGF supported similar
increased cellular proliferation compared with 1% FBS media (p < 0.002). M
odified VEGF retains its chemotactic and proliferative properties in vitro.
These findings suggest that bare prosthetic surfaces lined with VEGF bound
to a "basecoat" albumin may support endothelial cell proliferation and mig
ration and thereby offer new strategies to improve graft patency. (C) 2001
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.