title: Influence of dermal equivalent maturation on the development of a cultured skin equivalent.
abstract: Histologic and immunofluorescence methods were used to analyse the presence of fibronectin, chondroitin-4-sulphate and chondroitin-6-sulphate, type III and IV collagens, laminin, and keratins to assess the maturation level of cultured dermal and skin equivalents. In a first phase, fibroblasts in monolayer culture were compared with dermal equivalents in which fibroblasts are embedded in a type I collagen gel. Different fluorescent patterns were observed depending on the culture system used. A sequential appearance of macromolecules was noticed in dermal equivalents. Fibronectin was first detected after 4 days of culture, whereas chondroitin-4-sulphate and chondroitin-6-sulphate and type III collagen were present after 7 days. In contrast, all three macromolecules were detected at 24 h of culture in fibroblastic monolayer cultures. In a second phase, the quality of our skin equivalents was evaluated according to the seeding time of epidermal cells upon dermal equivalents (1, 4, or 7 days). A satisfactory stratification was obtained when keratinocytes were seeded after 4 and 7 days of dermal equivalent culture. Laminin and fibronectin were detected at the dermo-epidermal junction, but type IV collagen was absent. Various keratins, as detected by the AE1, AE2, and AE3 antibodies, were present in the epidermal layer. Following keratinocyte confluence, a change in the organization pattern of type III collagen in the dermal fraction of the skin equivalent was also noticed. Our comparative results show that seeding of epidermal cells on a more mature dermal equivalent leads to improved differentiation status of the epidermal layer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoires des Grands Brûlés, Hôpital du St-Sacrement, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouvard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rompré
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Auger
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003094:Collagen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D007797:Laminin / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012867:Skin / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D007797:Laminin; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D003094:Collagen