Enhancement of viability of fat grafts in nude mice by endothelial progenitor cells.
BACKGROUND
A recent discovery showed that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) could augment collateral vessel growth to ischemic tissues.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to demonstrate the effects of EPCs on the vasculogenesis and survival of free transplanted fat tissues in nude mice.


METHODS
EPCs from human donors were cultured in vitro for 7 days. Human fat tissues were injected subcutaneously into the scalps of 20 6-week-old nude male mice. EPCs stained with CM-DiI were mixed with the transplanted fat tissues and injected into the mice. EBM-2 medium was used as control group. The animals were euthanized 15 weeks after the procedure. Graft volume were measured, and histologic evaluation was performed. The central part of fat tissues was histologically evaluated 15 weeks after the fat injection.


RESULTS
The survival volume of the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group (p< .05). Less cyst formation and fibrosis was obtained in the experimental group. Histologic evaluation of the central part of fat tissues 15 weeks after the fat injection showed that capillary densities increased markedly in the experimental group mice.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that EPCs have the ability to enhance the survival and the quality of the transplanted fat tissues.
Yi
Chenggang
C
Department of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710032, China.
Pan
Yong
Y
Zhen
Yan
Y
Zhang
Linxi
L
Zhang
Xudong
X
Shu
Maoguo
M
Han
Yan
Y
Guo
Shuzhong
S
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology