Myoblast-acellular skeletal muscle matrix constructs guarantee a long-term repair of experimental full-thickness abdominal wall defects.
To obtain a valuable treatment of congenital muscle defect, cell-matrix constructs composed of satellite cell-derived myoblasts (XY karyotype) seeded on muscle acellular matrices were used to repair a previously created full-thickness defect of abdominal wall of 18 1-month-old female Lewis rats. Acellular abdominal matrices, obtained by a detergent-enzymatic method, were positive for both basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta, and were able to support in vitro cell adhesion. All animals survived the surgery, without signs of infection or implant rejection, and were humanely killed at 1, 3, or 9 months after surgery. The implants appeared well preserved, were integrated in the host tissue, and maintained their original dimension and thickness until 9 months. Vesicular acetylcholine transporter was expressed on the surface of muscle fibers from 1 month postsurgery. Finally, implanted male myoblasts were present inside the patches until 9 months, as demonstrated by the expression of SrY mRNA and by the presence of Y chromosome probe signal. These results allow us to conclude that cell-matrix constructs could represent a promising approach to the repair of muscle defects, because they are repopulated in vivo by skeletal muscle cells and nervous elements and maintain their structural integrity over the long term.
De Coppi
Paolo
P
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Bellini
Silvia
S
Conconi
Maria Teresa
MT
Sabatti
Morena
M
Simonato
Enea
E
Gamba
Pier Giorgio
PG
Nussdorfer
Gastone Giovanni
GG
Parnigotto
Pier Paolo
PP
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008297:Male; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2