[Studies on the growth of rabbit skin fibroblasts on the surfaces of acellular dermal matrix].

The growth of fibroblasts on the acellular dermal matrix (ADM) was studied. The fibroblasts isolated from the skin of an adult New Zealand Rabbit were cultured in vitro and identified subsequently. After the cells were inoculated on the ADM as seeds, the adhesion rate and the growth ability were examined, and cellular morphology was assayed with DAPI fluorescent staining and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The possibilities of applying ADM as cells carrier or deliverer in the field of transplantation were evaluated. The result revealed that pure fibroblasts were isolated through the specific method. Skin fibroblasts could adhere to ADM easily, and the adhesion rate was 96.78%, displaying no significant difference (P > 0.05) when compared with that rate of the control holes. The cells on the scaffolds and those on the control holes showed similar growth tendencies, but the activity of the former was lower (P < 0.01). The integral nucleus with blue fluorescence could be observed on the ADM under fluorescence microscope. The number of fibroblasts scaled up with the cultured time, The results of SEM showed that the state of cell was good and the fibroblasts were fused into a layer after being cultured for 5-10d. So rabbit fibroblasts can attach, survive, grow and proliferate on the ADM in a healthy way. It is entirely possible to use ADM as an appropriate scaffold material for the culture of fibroblasts and as a material for transplantations.

[Three-dimensional structure of collagen fibril of pigskin].

OBJECTIVE: To probe deply into the three-dimensional structure of pigskin collagen fibril and provide the basic data for using the pigskin tissue as tissue engineering material. METHODS: Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) were employed to study the three-dimensional structure of collagen fibril in pigskin tissue. RESULTS: Microscopy revealed that pigskin collagen fibril had periodic transverse groove (i.e. D-periodicity) which was about 67 nm. The diameter of fibril ranged from 57 to 135 nm, showing much difference among the papillary layer, reticular layer and infra-reticular layer. The length of fibril varied from 5 to 13 microns. Both ends of fibril were rotund and slightly bulgy. The fibrils assembled and the D-periodicities were homologous in flank. In axial direction fibrils were found staggered end by end. CONCLUSION: The data obtained in this study on the three-dimensional structure of pigskin collagen fibril are of significance to researches in tissue engineering materials.