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International Journal of Bioprinting 3D printing with drug for vascular repair

Figure 1. Design of 3D-printed artificial blood vessels (ABVs) loaded with endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and nanoparticles containing statin
and curcumin for treatment in mouse model of hindlimb ischemia. (A) Encapsulation of atorvastatin and curcumin into nanoparticles. (B) Effects of
encapsulated NPS and NPC. (C, D) EPCs isolated from umbilical cord blood are combined with bioink to create an ABV, which is transplanted into a
mouse model of hindlimb ischemia.

Supplementary File). The analysis confirmed that NP is drug released from the NP. Drug release conditions were
primarily composed of silicon (Si), oxygen (O), and a trace established with a maximum standard of 7 days (100%),
amount of zinc (Zn). Further quantification of element and the daily release rate was then determined. The
content revealed approximate weight percentages of outcome revealed a slow release of each drug loaded within
43.9% Si, 53.5% O, and 2.6% Zn, and atomic percentages the nanoparticles (Figure 2F). Overall, it was confirmed
of 31.6% Si, 67.6% O, and 0.8% Zn (Figure S1B and S1C that the shape and size of each manufactured nanoparticle
in Supplementary File). Based on previous data, NP, NPS, were constant and that the content was released from the
and NPC were individually characterized using FTIR nanoparticles in a slow but sustained manner.
spectroscopy (Figure S1D and S1E in Supplementary File). 3.2. In vitro biocompatibility assessment of NP
In the FTIR spectrum of NP, the presence of a symmetric To confirm the cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles, the
-1
stretching vibration peak at 1078 cm was indicative of treatment was performed for each concentration and time
the Si-O-Si group, a characteristic feature of SiO . 71,72 period (Figure 3A). No cytotoxicity was observed even
2
NPS and NPC exhibited similar characteristics, with Si- when the cells were treated at a high concentration of 1 µg/
-1
-1
O-Si wavelengths observed at 1082 cm and 1066 cm , mL for up to 72 h (Figure 3B). Besides, we found that EPCs
respectively. This observation strongly suggests that the treated with NPS demonstrated enhanced proliferation
primary constituent of NP is SiO . NP characterized by this and function. When NPS and NPC (NPSC) were co-
2
structural configuration demonstrate a loading efficiency administered, a similar tendency was observed (Figure
of approximately 20% for both statin and curcumin. Zeta 3C). EdU assay was performed to confirm whether this
potential is often used as an indicator to assess the stability result was due to an increase in the number of proliferating
of a sample dispersion. The zeta potential of -16.6 mV for cells. It was confirmed that the NP was nontoxic, and
NP, -18.6 mV for NPS, and -20.7 mV for NPC confirmed the number of proliferating cells significantly increased
the stability of the suspension (Figure 2C). To evaluate when treated with NPSC (Figure 3D and E). To establish
stability in vivo, the degradability of the nanoparticles the additional role of statin in enhancing the functions of
was evaluated after suspension in PBS, which showed that EPCs, an experiment was conducted to assess blood vessel
the shape and size of the nanoparticles were maintained formation and migration ability. It was confirmed that
from days 1, 3, and 7 (Figure 2D and E). Subsequently, tube formation (Figure 3F and G) and migration (Figure
we performed an experiment to ascertain the quantity of 3H and I), which are the indicators of angiogenesis, were

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 337 doi: 10.36922/ijb.1857