[In vitro culture of murine fetal epidermal stem cell and its relationship with the regeneration of follicle].
OBJECTIVE
To isolate and culture the murine fetal epidermal stem cells (ESCs) and folliculus pili cells (FPCs) in vitro, and to observe the regeneration of hair follicle and epidermis after cografting of ESCs and FPCs.


METHODS
The ESCs were isolated by adhering to murine type IV collagen and were cultured in conditional medium. The expression level of beta1-integrin and keratin 15 in ESCs was detected. At the same time, the cell cycle and clony forming eficiency (CFE) in ESCs were also determined. The FPCs were isolated and cultured and inoculated in fibrin-gel to form FPCs-gel. A full skin equivalent was prepared by combining ESCs with FPCs-gel and was grafted onto total skin loss wounds on the back of BALB/C nude mice. The histological changes of the wounds and the hair follicles were observed at 8 - 10 weeks after the grafting.


RESULTS
There were high level expressions of beta1-integrin and keratin 15 in murine fetal ESCs. It was indicated by cell cycle analysis that cells in G1 stage accounted for 94.9% of the cells, while that in S stage, 3.5%, suggesting slow cell cycle. Nevertheless, the keratinocytes in G1 stage accounted for 74.1% and that in S stage, 17.5% of cells in control group. The CFE of ESCs was 15.3%, and it was much higher than that in control group (6.7%). The newly formed hair follicles could be found in the grafted rats but not in the control group 8 - 10 weeks after the wound healing in nude rats.


CONCLUSIONS
The ESCs could be successfully isolated and cultured in vitro and might participate in the formation of hair follicle structure under the induction of FPCs.
Han
Jun-Tao
JT
Department of Burns, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032. Shaanxi Province. P.R. China.
Chen
Bi
B
Zhang
Xiao-Hui
XH
Wang
Zhe
Z
Li
Feng
F
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D004817:Epidermis; D005333:Fetus; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000032:analysis; D053569:Keratin-15; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012038:Regeneration; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D014945:Wound Healing
D019012:Integrin beta1; D053569:Keratin-15; C492053:Krt15 protein, mouse; D007633:Keratins