Mechanical Properties and Degradability of Electrospun PCL/PLGA Blended Scaffolds as Vascular Grafts

Abstract

In our study, the mechanical properties and degradability of vascular grafts made from poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) at different ratios were investigated. The results showed that the electrospun PCL/PLGA grafts possess good mechanical properties and biodegradability. The tensile and burst strength of the scaffolds met the demands of vascular grafts. In vitro degradation tests indicated that the degradation rate of the materials increased with the percentage of PLGA, and in vivo tests showed that increasing the amount of PLGA is an effective way to promote cell infiltration. Particularly, the electrospun PCL/PLGA blended scaffold with 10% PLGA exhibited a balance of mechanical and degradation properties, making it a promising tissue engineering material for vascular grafts.

Keywords

Electrospinning / Poly(ε-caprolactone) / Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) / Mechanical properties / Biodegradability

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