title: Microsurgical arterovenous loops and biological templates: a novel in vivo chamber for tissue engineering.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microsurgical tissue engineering is an emerging topic in regenerative medicine. Here we describe a new microsurgical model of bioengineering in rats based on the use of an arterovenous loop (AV) implanted into a commercially available crosslinked collagen/glycosaminoglycan template.
  
  
  METHODS
  The microvascular loop was created between the femoral artery and vein and covered by the template folded onto itself. The chamber was isolated from the outside tissue by an outer silicon layer to impede tissue ingrowth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 1-month postimplantation, the tissue chamber was found heavily vascularized, as assessed by laser Doppler perfusion analysis. Histological examination showed that the AV loop was integrated into the collagen matrix of the template and that the whole template was filled with a newly formed soft connective tissue. Most interestingly, the whole scaffold was found heavily vascularized, including the formation of a large number of alpha-SMA-positive arterioles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The developed microsurgical chamber provides a highly vascular, isolated tool for in vivo tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Specialties, Plastic Surgery Division, University of Messina Medical School, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manasseri
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cuccia
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moimas
authors.forename: Francesco Stagno
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: D'Alcontres
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Polito
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bitto
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Altavilla
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Squadrito
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geuna
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pattarini
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zentilin
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Collesi
authors.forename: Uday
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Puligadda
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giacca
authors.forename: Michele Rosario
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Colonna
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D015194:Diffusion Chambers, Culture; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; C058506:collagen-glycosaminoglycan copolymer; D003094:Collagen