Myogenic Potential of Extracellular Matrix Derived from Decellularized Bovine Pericardium.

Skeletal muscles represent 40% of body mass and its native regenerative capacity can be permanently lost after a traumatic injury, congenital diseases, or tumor ablation. The absence of physiological regeneration can hinder muscle repair preventing normal muscle tissue functions. To date, tissue engineering (TE) represents one promising option for treating muscle injuries and wasting. In particular, hydrogels derived from the decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) are widely investigated in tissue engineering applications thanks to their essential role in guiding muscle regeneration. In this work, the myogenic potential of dECM substrate, obtained from decellularized bovine pericardium (Tissuegraft Srl), was evaluated in vitro using C2C12 murine muscle cells. To assess myotubes formation, the width, length, and fusion indexes were measured during the differentiation time course. Additionally, the ability of dECM to support myogenesis was assessed by measuring the expression of specific myogenic markers: α-smooth muscle actin (α-sma), myogenin, and myosin heavy chain (MHC). The results obtained suggest that the dECM niche was able to support and enhance the myogenic potential of C2C12 cells in comparison of those grown on a plastic standard surface. Thus, the use of extracellular matrix proteins, as biomaterial supports, could represent a promising therapeutic strategy for skeletal muscle tissue engineering.

Simplified surgical approach to congenital megaprepuce: fixing, unfurling and tailoring revisited.

PURPOSE: Megaprepuce is a congenital penile malformation that includes phimosis and severe ballooning of the internal prepuce. We combined the main technical details of 2 previously reported surgical techniques to simplify the surgical approach. We report the key points of this revisited surgical correction for megaprepuce and the long-term results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Penile reconstruction was performed between March 2004 and March 2009 in 26 children 2 to 19 months old (median age 6) with congenital megaprepuce. Surgical repair consisted of limited preputial resection of the phimotic ring, wide dissection of the outer prepuce to the base of the penis, fixation of the proximal outer prepuce to Buck's fascia to create a new penoscrotal junction, and unfurling and wide tailoring of the inner prepuce in the ventral midline to resurface the whole elongated penile shaft. A bladder catheter was left in place for 5 or 6 days. Only patients with at least 6 months of followup were included in analysis. RESULTS: All patients underwent surgery on an outpatient basis. Operative time was between 50 and 85 minutes. Median followup was 17.6 months (range 6 to 59). Two patients had slight dehiscence of the ventral suture, which healed spontaneously without a scar. In 1 patient transient urethral meatal stenosis developed. The final cosmesis result was adequate in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to correct megaprepuce and achieve an adequate genital aspect with a simple approach of resurfacing the penis with the unfurled, tailored inner prepuce.