Minkai Xie1, Yuemin Xu2, Lujie Song1, Jihong Wang1, Xiangguo Lv1, Yaopeng Zhang3. 1. Department of Urology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. 2. Department of Urology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: yueminxu@hotmail.com. 3. State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zyp@dhu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To investigate the feasibility of urethral reconstruction using tissue-engineered buccal mucosa (TEBM) with silk fibroin (SF) matrices in a canine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Autologous oral keratinocytes and autologous fibroblasts were isolated, expanded, and seeded onto SF matrices to obtain TEBM. The TEBM was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining and scanning electron microscopy. A 5-cm urethral mucosal defect was created in 10 female canines. Urethroplasty was performed using TEBM in five canines in the experimental group and with SF matrices without cells in the five canines in the comparison group. Retrograde urethrography was performed after 6 mo of grafting. The urethral grafts were analyzed grossly and histologically. RESULTS: The oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts exhibited good biocompatibility with the SF matrices. TEBM could be constructed using SF matrices. The canines implanted with the tissue-engineered mucosa voided without difficulty. The retrograde urethrography revealed no sign of stricture. The histologic staining showed that epithelial cells developed gradually and exhibited stratified epithelial layers at 6 mo. In the comparison group, the canines had difficulty voiding, and the retrograde urethrography showed urethra stricture. The histologic staining showed that one to two layers of epithelial cells developed. CONCLUSIONS: The TEBM using SF matrices could be a potential material for urethra reconstruction.
BACKGROUND: To investigate the feasibility of urethral reconstruction using tissue-engineered buccal mucosa (TEBM) with silk fibroin (SF) matrices in a canine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Autologous oral keratinocytes and autologous fibroblasts were isolated, expanded, and seeded onto SF matrices to obtain TEBM. The TEBM was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining and scanning electron microscopy. A 5-cm urethral mucosal defect was created in 10 female canines. Urethroplasty was performed using TEBM in five canines in the experimental group and with SF matrices without cells in the five canines in the comparison group. Retrograde urethrography was performed after 6 mo of grafting. The urethral grafts were analyzed grossly and histologically. RESULTS: The oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts exhibited good biocompatibility with the SF matrices. TEBM could be constructed using SF matrices. The canines implanted with the tissue-engineered mucosa voided without difficulty. The retrograde urethrography revealed no sign of stricture. The histologic staining showed that epithelial cells developed gradually and exhibited stratified epithelial layers at 6 mo. In the comparison group, the canines had difficulty voiding, and the retrograde urethrography showed urethra stricture. The histologic staining showed that one to two layers of epithelial cells developed. CONCLUSIONS: The TEBM using SF matrices could be a potential material for urethra reconstruction.