title: Effect of dermal fibroblasts on long-term maintenance of regenerating xenotransplanted human esophageal epithelial cells in immunodeficient mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Artificial esophagus of various materials has been tried without satisfactory results. Effects of fibroblasts derived from human dermis on cultured human esophageal epithelial cells were investigated regarding their preservation over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human esophageal epithelial cells (EE) were subcutaneously injected either alone or with human esophageal fibroblasts (EF) or human dermal fibroblasts (DF) into the flank of the BALB/cA-nu, scid mice of 8 to 12 weeks of age. At 10 days, 3, 6 and 48 weeks after transplantation, randomly chosen mice were sacrificed and the rates of nodule formation at the injected sites were compared. Nodules were examined histologically by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemically with anti- Ki-67 and anti-p63 antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of subcutaneous epidermoid cyst formation at 10 days was 33% for EE, and 67% for EE with EF, and 100% for EE with DF transplantation. At 6 weeks after transplantation, subcutaneous cysts were not found for EE alone or EE with EF, but were detected in 100% of the mice transplanted EE with DF and still preserved at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term preservation of regenerated esophageal epithelium in vivo after transplantation of cultured esophageal epithelial cells is possible by co-transplantation of human dermal fibroblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kenmochi
authors.forename: Sadaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kise
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kidokoro
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makuuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D020405:Dermis / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000209:etiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016513:Mice, SCID; D012038:Regeneration; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous