title: Homologous muscle acellular matrix seeded with autologous myoblasts as a tissue-engineering approach to abdominal wall-defect repair.
abstract: Myoblasts were obtained by culturing in vitro, single muscle fibers, isolated by enzymatic digestion from rat flexor digitorum brevis, and their phenotype was confirmed by myogenic differentiation factor, myogenic factor-5, myogenin and desmin. Cultured myoblasts were harvested and seeded on patches of homologous acellular matrix, obtained by detergent-enzymatic treatment of abdominal muscle fragments. Myoblast-seeded patches were inserted between obliqui abdominis muscles on the right side of 1-month-old rats, while non-seeded patches were implanted on the left side. Thirty days after surgery, non-seeded patches were completely replaced by fibrous tissue, while the structure of myoblast-seeded patches was well preserved until the 2nd month. Seeded patches displayed abundant blood vessels and myoblasts, and electromyography evidenced in them single motor-unit potentials, sometimes grouped into arithmic discharges. Ninty days after implantation, the thickness of myoblast-seeded patches and their electric activity decreased, suggesting a loss of contractile muscle fibers. In conclusion, the present results indicate that autologous myoblast-homologous acellular muscle matrix constructs are a promising tool for body-wall defect repair, and studies are under way to identify strategies able to improve and maintain the structural and functional integrity of implants for longer periods.
authors.affiliation: Section of Anatomy, Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 65, I-35121 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Conconi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Coppi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zara
authors.forename: Morena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabatti
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marzaro
authors.forename: Giovanni Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Zanon
authors.forename: Pier Giorgio
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gamba
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Parnigotto
authors.forename: Gastone Giovanni
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002474:Cell-Free System / Q000737:chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials