Experimental study of polycaprolactone vascular graft for blood vessel regeneration

The polycaprolactone (PCL) vascular graft for tissue regeneration was evaluated in the long-term in vivo study. The grafts were fabricated by electrospinning with the further morphological assessment and mechanical tests. Grafts were implanted into rat abdominal aortas for 2 weeks, 1 and 10 months to evaluate the formation of blood vessels and graft biocompatibility. PCL grafts had a highly porous structure. Mechanical properties of the grafts differed from those of native vessels; however, grafts were able to withstand the mechanical stress created by a blood flow. Implanted grafts were infiltrated by the host cells. Thus, PCL grafts are biocompatible and can be used as temporary vascular prostheses.