In Vitro Mechanical Property Evaluation of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels Intended for Vascular Graft Development

• Published in: Journal of cardiovascular translational research Vol. 10; no. 5-6; pp. 480 - 488
• Main Authors: Aussel, Audrey, Montembault, Alexandra, Malaise, Sébastien, Foulc, Marie Pierre, Faure, William, Cornet, Sandro, Aid, Rachida, Chaouat, Marc, Delair, Thierry, Letourneur, Didier, David, Laurent, Bordenave, Laurence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2017; Springer
• Subjects: Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation - instrumentation; Cardiology; Chemical Sciences; Chitosan - chemistry; Elastic Modulus; Human Genetics; Hydrogels; Material chemistry; Materials Testing; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Polymers; Pressure; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Failure; Stress, Mechanical; Suture Techniques; Tensile Strength; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds; Mechanical properties; Vascular graft development; Chitosan; Hydrogels; In vitro
• ISSN: 1937-5387; 1937-5395
• DOI: 10.1007/s12265-017-9763-z

Vascular grafts made of synthetic polymers perform poorly in cardiac and peripheral bypass applications. In these applications, chitosan-based materials can be produced and shaped to provide a novel scaffold for vascular tissue engineering. The goal of this study was to evaluate in vitro the mechanical properties of a novel chitosan formulation to assess its potential for this scaffold. Two chitosan-based hydrogel tubes were produced by modulating chitosan concentration. Based on the standard ISO 7198:1998, the hydrogel tubes were characterized in vitro in terms of suture retention strength, tensile strength, compliance, and burst pressure. By increasing chitosan concentration, suture retention value increased to reach 1.1 N; average burst strength and elastic moduli also increased significantly. The compliance seemed to exhibit a low value for chitosan tubes of high concentration. By modulating chitosan concentration, we produced scaffolds with suitable mechanical properties to be implanted in vivo and withstand physiological blood pressures.