[Experimental study on tissue engineered testicular prosthesis with internal support].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility and characteristic of tissue engineered testicular prosthesis with high-density polyethylene (HDPE, trade name: Medpor) and polyglycolic acid(PGA).


METHODS
The chondrocytes were isolated from the swine articular. The PGA scaffold was incorporated with medpor which semidiameters were 6 mm and 4 mm respectively. Then, the chondrocytes (5 x 10(7)/ml) were seeded onto Medpor-PGA scaffold and cultured for 2 weeks. The ten BALB/C mice were divided into two groups randomly (n = 5). In the experimental group, the cell-scaffold construct was implanted into subcutaneous pockets on the back of nude mice. In the control group, the Medpor-PGA scaffold was implanted. The mice of two groups were sacrificed to harvest the newly formed cartilage prosthesis after 8 weeks. Macroscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry observations were made.


RESULTS
The gross observation showed that on changes were in shape and at size, the color and elasticity were similar to that of normal cartilage and that the cartilage integrated with Medpor in the experimental group; no cartilage formed and fiberlike tissue was found in the control group. HE staining showed that many mature cartilage lacuna formed without blood vessel and some PGA did not degradated completely. Toluidine blue staining showed extracellular matrix had metachromia. Safranin O-fast green staining showed that many proteoglycan deposited and collagen type II expression was strongly positive. In the control group, Medpor was encapsulated by fiber tissue with rich blood vessel.


CONCLUSIONS
The newly formed complex of Medpor-PGA and cells was very similar to testicle in gross view and to normal cartilage in histology. This pilot technique of creating testicular prosthesis by incorporating tissue-engineered cartilage with Medpor demonstrated success.
Wu
Yujia
Y
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, PR China. wuyujiajy@163.com
Jiang
Hua
H
Zhou
Guangdong
G
D000818:Animals; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013552:Swine; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D024043:Collagen Type II; C084562:Medpor; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid