title: Development of a cell-seeded modified small intestinal submucosa for urethroplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the feasibility of a modified 3D porous small intestinal submucosa (SIS) scaffold seeded with urothelial cells (UC) for surgical reconstruction in a rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen New England white male rabbits were divided into three groups and a 0.8 × 1.5 cm(2) section of the anterior urethral mucosa was removed from each animal. Ventral onlay urethroplasty was performed with a 1.0 × 1.7 cm(2) SIS scaffold that was either cell-seeded and treated with 5% peracetic acid (PAA) (n = 6), or cell-seeded and untreated (n = 6), or unseeded and treated with 5% PAA (n = 6). Animals were sacrificed at 6 months post-repair and retrograde urethrography and histological analyses performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In animals implanted with cell-seeded and PAA treated SIS scaffolds, urethrography showed wide-caliber urethra without any signs of stricture or fistulae, and histological analyses confirmed a complete urethral structure. In contrast, ulceration and fistula occurred in the reconstructed urethra of animals implanted with cell-seeded but untreated SIS scaffolds, and evident stricture was present in the unseeded, PAA treated group. Histological analyses demonstrated less urothelial coverage and smooth muscle in the cell-seeded and untreated SIS scaffold group, and serious fibrosis formation occurred in the unseeded, treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A modified 3D porous SIS scaffold seeded with UC and treated with PAA produces better urethroplasty results than cell-seeded untreated SIS scaffolds, or unseeded PAA treated SIS scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Core Facility and Technical Support, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Minjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
keywords: Biomaterials; Plastic surgery; Regenerative medicine