Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of mortality among non-communicable diseases worldwide. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is a widely used material for making artificial vascular grafts to treat CVDs; however, its application in small-diameter vascular grafts is limited by the issues of thrombosis formation and intimal hyperplasia. This paper presents a novel approach that integrates a hydrogel layer on the lumen of ePTFE vascular grafts through mechanical interlocking to efficiently facilitate endothelialization and alleviate thrombosis and restenosis problems. This study investigated how various gel synthesis variables, including N,N'-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA), sodium alginate, and calcium sulfate (CaSO4), influence the mechanical and rheological properties of P(AAm-co-NaAMPS)-alginate-xanthan hydrogels intended for vascular graft applications. The findings obtained can provide valuable guidance for crafting hydrogels suitable for artificial vascular graft fabrication. The increased sodium alginate content leads to increased equilibrium swelling ratios, greater viscosity in hydrogel precursor solutions, and reduced transparency. Adding more CaSO4 decreases the swelling ratio of a hydrogel system, which offsets the increased swelling ratio caused by alginate. Increased MBAA in the hydrogel system enhances both the shear modulus and Young's modulus while reducing the transparency of the hydrogel system and the pore size of freeze-dried samples. Overall, Hydrogel (6A12M) with 2.58 mg/mL CaSO4 was the optimal candidate for ePTFE-hydrogel vascular graft applications due to its smallest pore size, highest shear storage modulus and Young's modulus, smallest swelling ratio, and a desirable precursor solution viscosity that facilitates fabrication.