Histological evaluation of acute covering of an experimental neural tube defect with biomatrices in fetal sheep.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine the histological effect on the neural tissue of in utero covering of an experimental neural tube defect in fetal lambs, with the use of two different biomatrices.


METHODS
In 23 fetal sheep, surgery was performed at 79 days' gestation. In 19 of these, a neural tube defect was created, while 4 fetuses served as sham-operated controls. In 7 of the 19 operated fetuses the defect was left uncovered. In the remaining 12 animals the defect was covered either with a collagen biomatrix (4 animals), skin (3 animals), or small intestinal submucosa biomatrix (5 animals). The lambs were sacrificed at 1 week of age and histological examination was performed.


RESULTS
All lambs with an uncovered neural tube defect showed histological damage of the spinal cord. In lambs in which the neural tube defect was covered, one half showed a normal architecture of the spinal cord while minor histological damage was present in the other half. Between the three groups in which the defect was covered, the histological outcome was comparable.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute covering of an experimental neural tube defect in fetal lambs prevents severe histological damage to the spinal cord independent of the two biomatrices used in this study.
Eggink
A J
AJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. A.Eggink@obgyn.umcn.nl
Roelofs
L A J
LA
Lammens
M M Y
MM
Feitz
W F J
WF
Wijnen
R M H
RM
Mullaart
R A
RA
van Moerkerk
H T B
HT
van Kuppevelt
T H
TH
Crevels
A J
AJ
Hanssen
A
A
Lotgering
F K
FK
van den Berg
P P
PP
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003094:Collagen; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa; D023421:Models, Animal; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D012867:Skin
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003094:Collagen