title: Perivascular cells in a skin graft are rapidly repopulated by host cells.
abstract: Survival of grafted tissues is dependent upon revascularisation. This study investigated revascularisation in a murine skin graft model, using two methods. The first involved 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine (DiI) labelling of the wound bed, prior to replacing the skin graft, to allow tracking of host cells into the grafts. At time points between day 3 and day 14 post-surgery, DiI-labelled cells which had tracked into the grafts, were found to co-localise with CD31 positive endothelial cells and patent perfused vessels (fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran perfusion), to show possible association with the vasculature. To further differentiate between graft and host-derived cells, C57BL/6 wild-type grafts were placed on enhanced-green fluorescent protein (e-GFP) transgenic mouse hosts, and at set times post-grafting examined using confocal microscopy. Patent vessels were found at all depths of the graft by day 3. Host (DiI- or GFP-positive) cells were predominantly co-localised with graft vessels in grafts from day 3 onwards, with a similar morphology to control skin. Significantly more GFP labelled host cells were visualised in the superficial dermis at day 5 compared to day 3. Initial restoration of circulation appears to be due to linkage between existing graft and bed vessels, followed by an influx of host cells with a definite perivascular distribution. These findings have implications for skin autografts and tissue engineered skin substitutes.
authors.affiliation: UK Centre for Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Life Sciences, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Ceallaigh
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Herrick
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bluff
authors.forename: M W J
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McGrouther
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous