Construction and biofunctional evaluation of electrospun vascular graft loaded with selenocystamine for in situ catalytic generation of nitric oxide

•A porous small-diameter vascular graft was prepared by electrospinning.•Selenocystamine was loaded for in situ catalytic and sustained NO generation.•There was a significant catalytic NO generation on the catalyst-loaded sample.•The spread of smooth muscle cells was inhibited on the catalyst-loaded sample.•The catalyst-loaded sample showed anti-thrombotic property in AV-shunt experiment.

Construction and biofunctional evaluation of a novel vascular graft with in situ catalytic generation of nitric oxide were described in this paper. Poly α-lysine and poly (γ-glutamic acid) were deposited alternately onto the surface of an electrospun poly ε-caprolactone matrix via electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly, and then selenocystamine was loaded as a catalyst. Measurement of in vitro catalytic generation of nitric oxide demonstrated that this catalyst-loaded material could considerably accelerate the release of nitric oxide from S-nitrosoglutathione. A fibroblast proliferation assay showed that the material possessed satisfactory cellular compatibility. The catalyst-loaded material could inhibit the spread of smooth muscle cells in the presence of nitric oxide donors. In arteriovenous-shunt experiment, the catalyst-loaded graft exhibited good anti-thrombotic property where it could prevent acute thrombosis by decreasing the adhesion and activation of platelets and other blood cells. These data suggest a new method of building vascular grafts with improved hemocompatibility and biological functions.

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