title: Improvement of skin-graft survival after autologous transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Skin grafts are frequently used for a variety of indications in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Their necrosis is a common complication, while different therapies have been proposed. Currently, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) hold great promise for their angiogenic potential and role during tissue repair. In this study, autologous transplantation of ASCs was used in skin grafts in rats to determine if it increases angiogenesis, skin-graft survival and wound healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  ASCs were isolated, cultured, labelled with fluorescent dye and injected under full-thickness skin grafts in 10 rats (group 1), while 10 others served as controls (group 2). Skin grafts were analysed after 1 week. Collagen's framework was assessed with Masson's trichrome stain and angiogenesis with von Willebrand factor (vWF) immunohistochemistry. In addition, immunohistochemical staining intensity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor b3 (TGFb3) was assessed in all grafts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean area of graft necrosis was significantly less in group 1 than in group 2 (6.12% vs. 32.62%, p<0.01). Statistically significant increase of microvessel density, collagen density, VEGF and TGFb3 expression was noted in group 1 compared with group 2 (all: p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that autologous ASCs transplantation increases full-thickness skin-graft survival and shows promise for use in skin-graft surgery. This might be both due to in situ differentiation of ASCs into endothelial cells and increased secretion by ASCs of growth factors, such as VEGF and TGFb3 that enhance angiogenesis and wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Research, Surgical Department, University of Athens School of Medicine, 15B Ag. Thoma Str., Athens, Greece. azografou@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zografou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsigris
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kavantzas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patsouris
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrea
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A