Fig. 3: In vitro modeling of scaffold-guided vascular growth.

a Electrospun PCL-BU vascular scaffold prior to culture (ϕ3 mm). b Scanning electron microscopy images of dynamically cultured samples after decellularization for each experimental condition, and of an 8-day statically cultured cell-free sample (bare). c Quantification of scaffold fiber diameter at the outside of the (decellularized) constructs (n = 30 fibers/condition). d Temporal variations in cyclic stretch for all loading conditions (n = 13 or 14/day). e Shear rate dependent viscosity in X-gum-enriched medium (red squares, n = 3), standard medium (blue triangles, n = 3), and water (yellow circles, n = 3). The * indicates blood viscosity at 200 s⁻¹. f, g Temporal variations in shear rate (left axis, n = 6, 7, or 9/day), viscosity (right axis, n = 3 or 5/day), and shear stress (right, derived from the actual (measured) medium viscosity) in the high, oscillating, and low shear stress conditions. Bars and black dots represent mean, error bars and gray area indicate standard deviation, boxplots contain 50% of the data with median highlighted by central mark (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01).