Nanofibrous polytetrafluoroethylene/poly(ε-caprolactone) membrane with hierarchical structures for vascular patch

With the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, developing cardiovascular supplements is becoming increasingly urgent. The ability of cells to rapidly adhere and proliferate to achieve endothelialization is extremely important for vascular grafts. In this work, we electrospun polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanofibrous membranes and used induced crystallization to manufacture poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) shish-kebab microstructures on PTFE nanofibers to overcome the inertness of PTFE, and promote cell adhesion and proliferation. PCL lamella periodically grew on the surface of PTFE nanofibers yielding a hierarchical structure, which improved the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of the PTFE nanofibrous membrane. The deposition of PCL lamella improved the hydrophilicity of electrospun PTFE nanofibers membrane, leading to good cell proliferation and adhesion. Also, due to the surface inertness of the substrate material PTFE, this PTFE/PCL composite film has good anti-platelet adhesion properties. Furthermore, cell proliferation could be regulated by controlling the integrity of the PCL crystal network. The vascular patch showed similar mechanical properties to natural blood vessels, providing a new strategy for vascular tissue engineering.

Automated summary

In this study, PTFE nanofibrous membranes were electrospun and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) shish-kebab microstructures were induced on the surface of PTFE nanofibers to improve biocompatibility and mechanical properties. The deposition of PCL lamella improved the hydrophilicity of the PTFE membrane, leading to enhanced cell proliferation and adhesion. The PTFE/PCL composite film also exhibited good anti-platelet adhesion properties due to the inertness of PTFE surface. Cell proliferation could be regulated by controlling the integrity of the PCL crystal network.