Abstract: Objective To obtain the experimental data of vascular tissue engineering.MethodsThe vascular endothelial cells (VEC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were acquired and cultured, and then seeded on vascular tissue engineering materials. The porous gelatin-chitosan scaffold with VSMCs was subcutaneously implanted, followed by the observation of the cell growth ten days later.ResultsThe two kinds of cells were successfully cultured and their morpholoical and immunohistochemical characteristics were consistent with vascular endothelial and VSMCs respectively. The VSMCs could grow extensively on the scaffold after the in vivo implantation. The scaffold were wrapped by the fibrous tissue ten days later after the in vitro implantation of VSMCs. The seed cells grew in the scaffold, and the vessel cavity seen in the center of the scaffold, was quite different from the normal vessel structure.ConclusionIt is feasible to implant the VSMCs with fibrin gels into the living body. The vessels reconstructed, though different from the normal structure, is similar to the embryo of the vessels.

Key words: tissue engineering, blood vessels, chitosan, vascular grafts, scaffold