Effects of scaffold material used in cardiovascular surgery on mesenchymal stem cells and cardiac progenitor cells

Background Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and porcine small intestinal submucosa (pSIS) are patch materials used in congenital heart surgery. Porcine SIS is an extracellular-matrix scaffold that may interact with stem or progenitor cells. To evaluate this, we determined the in vitro effects of pSIS and PTFE on human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) in 3 areas; cell proliferation, angiogenic growth-factor production, and differentiation. Methods Human MSCs and CPCs were seeded onto pSIS and PTFE patches. Cell-seeded patches were cultured and then assessed for cell viability and proliferation and supernatant vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) levels. Cell proliferation was quantified by MTT assay (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on cell-seeded scaffolds to determine relative changes in gene expression related to angiogenesis and cardiogenesis. Results The MSCs and CPCs were able to attach and proliferate on pSIS and PTFE. The proliferation rate of each cell type was similar on pSIS. Total RNA isolation was only possible from the cell-seeded pSIS patches. The MSC VEGFA production was increased by pSIS. Porcine SIS promoted an angiogenic gene profile in MSCs and an early cardiogenic profile in CPCs. Conclusions Both PTFE and pSIS allow for varying degrees of cell proliferation. Porcine SIS elicits different phenotypical responses in MSCs as compared with CPCs, which indicates that pSIS may be a bioactive scaffold that modulates stem cell activation and proliferation. These findings highlight the differences in scaffold material strategies and suggest potential advantages of bioactive approaches.