The research of artificial dermis in promotion of skin and its appendage regeneration

Abstract

Objective To explore the function of artificial dermis in repair of full-thickness skin defects, and investigate its potential of inducing skin appendage regeneration. Methods A 3 cm×3 cm full-thickness skin defect was made on the dorsal skin of SD rats. In the experimental group, artificial dermis was used to cover the wound, and the control group was covered with silicon film only. The wound healing and hair regeneration were observed at 2 and 4 weeks after the operation. At these time points, HE and Masson staining were performed to detect the regeneration of skin appendages under the microscope. Simultaneously, BrdU (5-bromodeoxyuridine) incorporation test was used to verify whether the tissue of wound healing was derived from cell proliferation. Results The wounds in the experimental group was significantly smaller at 2 and 4 weeks after the operation than those in the control group. In the experimental group, hair growth was seen in the wound healing area at 4 weeks postoperatively. HE and Masson staining showed the regeneration of hair follicles and sebaceous glands in the newborn skin area. BrdU test indicated that there were a large number of BrdU positive cells in the epithelial tissue, hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the newborn skin area in the experimental group, which also showed that the cells in the above tissue were derived from division and proliferation. Conclusion Artificial dermis can play a good role in the repair of full-thickness skin defects. It not only can induce the regeneration of epithelial tissue, but also can guide the skin appendages stem/progenitor cell migration, proliferation and differentiation to promote the regeneration of skin appendages. The discovery will provide new ideas for the clinical and basic research of tissue repair and skin regeneration. Key words: Regeneration; Animals,laboratory; Artificial dermis; Full-thickness skin defects; Skin appendage