Evaluation of bioactivity of cardiomyoblasts on polyurethane-polycaprolactone scaffolds

Introduction Myocardial infarction (MI) retains the highest mortality rate among cardiovascular diseases globally. Cardiac tissue engineering has been employed as a promising approach to develop the biological constructs that mimic myocardial tissue. Biodegradable polyurethane elastomers have been utilized in fabrication of the elastomeric scaffolds for myocardial tissue repair and regeneration. Objectives Here, we have developed a new compliant patch for cardiac tissue to support the growth of cardiomyoblasts. Methods New polyurethane-polycaprolactone composite (PU-PCL) scaffolds were fabricated by the solvent casting/solvent evaporation andsolvent casting/particulate leaching methods. Metabolic activity and morphology of the cardiomyoblasts were investigated using MTT-assay and SEM microscope, respectively. Expression of the cardiac specific proteins on the scaffolds were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR. Results Our results demonstrated that these blend scaffolds exhibited high cell metabolic activity for cardiomyoblasts and also enabled cells to proliferate and express cardiac marker proteins at higher rates compared to the PU scaffold. Histological examination of the subcutaneous transplanted scaffolds after two months showed low immunological response and tunable degradation rate in the blends. Conclusion It is illustrated that the PU-PCL scaffolds could potentially provide a substrate with suitable cell-biomaterial interactions for cardiomyoblasts

Keywords:

Tissue engineering , Polyurethane , Cardiac tissue