In vivo vascularization of MSC-loaded porous hydroxyapatite constructs coated with VEGF-functionalized collagen/heparin multilayers

Sci Rep. 2016 Jan 22:6:19871. doi: 10.1038/srep19871.

Abstract

Rapid and adequate vascularization is vital to the long-term success of porous orbital enucleation implants. In this study, porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds coated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-functionalized collagen (COL)/heparin (HEP) multilayers (porosity 75%, pore size 316.8 ± 77.1 μm, VEGF dose 3.39 ng/mm(3)) were fabricated to enhance vascularization by inducing the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to endothelial cells. The in vitro immunofluorescence staining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blotting results demonstrated that the expression of the endothelial differentiation markers CD31, Flk-1, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) was significantly increased in the HA/(COL/HEP)5/VEGF/MSCs group compared with the HA/VEGF/MSCs group. Moreover, the HA/(COL/HEP)5 scaffolds showed a better entrapment of the MSCs and accelerated cell proliferation. The in vivo assays showed that the number of newly formed vessels within the constructs after 28 d was significantly higher in the HA/(COL/HEP)5/VEGF/MSCs group (51.9 ± 6.3/mm(2)) than in the HA (26.7 ± 2.3/mm(2)) and HA/VEGF/MSCs (38.2 ± 2.4/mm(2)) groups. The qRT-PCR and west rn blotting results demonstrated that the HA/(COL/HEP)5/VEGF/MSCs group also had the highest expression of CD31, Flk-1, and vWF at both the mRNA and protein levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / pharmacology*
  • Collagen / pharmacology*
  • Durapatite / pharmacology*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Heparin / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects*
  • Porosity
  • Prosthesis Implantation
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Sus scrofa
  • Thermogravimetry
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Heparin
  • Collagen
  • Durapatite