title: Tissue-engineered mesh for pelvic floor reconstruction fabricated from silk fibroin scaffold with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: A tissue-engineered mesh fabricated with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) cultured on a silk fibroin scaffold is evaluated for use in female pelvic reconstruction. Thirty-five female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups. Group A (n = 10) were implanted with polypropylene meshes, Group B (n = 10) with silk fibroin scaffolds and Group C (n = 10) with tissue-engineered meshes. Group D (n = 5) acted as the tissue control. The tissue-engineered mesh was produced as follows. AD-MSCs were obtained from adipose tissue of rats designated to Group C. The cells were seeded onto a silk fibroin scaffold, cultured and then observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Histological studies of these meshes were performed at 4 and 12 weeks after implantation and mechanical testing was carried out on all groups before implantation and at 12 weeks after implantation. AD-MSCs displayed fibroblast-like shapes and were able to differentiate into adipocytes or fibroblasts. SEM observation showed that AD-MSCs proliferated and secreted a matrix onto the silk fibroin scaffolds. After implantation of the scaffolds into rats, histological analysis revealed better organized newly formed tissue in Group C than in controls. Group C also had a similar failure force (2.67 ± 0.15 vs 2.33 ± 0.38 N) and a higher Young's modulus (2.99 ± 0.19 vs 1.68 ± 0.20 MPa) than a normal vaginal wall, indicating the potential of this tissue-engineered approach. AD-MSCs were validated as seed cells for tissue engineering. The silk fibroin scaffold thus shows promise for application with AD-MSCs in the fabrication of tissue-engineered mesh with good biocompatibility and appropriate mechanical properties for pelvic floor reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, , Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianliu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Lihui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005349:Fibroins