The experimental study of creating a new rat scarring model by inserting absorbable gelatin sponge into rats' excisional wounds / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the possibility of creating a rat new scar model by inserting gelatin sponge into rat excisional wounds.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two full-thickness wounds were created in each of total 49 SD rats. In the Experimental group (n = 19), a regular incisional wound (1 cm) was created on the left side, and an excisional wound of 1.0 cm x 0.2 cm was created on the right side with a gelatin sponge inserted. In control 1 group (n = 15), an excisional wound with sponge insertion was created on both sides of rats. In control 2 group (n = 15), two excisional wounds were created on both sides, and only one side wounds were inserted with a sponge. Animals were sacrificed at various time points for different examinations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The wound/scar width increased 4 - 11 times in inserted wounds than in regular incisional wounds (P < 0.01), with an obvious delay of epithelialization. No difference in wound/scar width was found in both sides of wounds of control 1 group at various locations. In contrast to the linear scar of sponge-inserted wounds, contracted and irregular scar was found in non-inserted wounds of control 2 group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Gelatin sponge insertion can create a thick linear scar in rat wounds, and thus provides a new model for scar research.</p>

Experimental study on constructing small-caliber artery by tissue engineering approach / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possibility of constructing small-caliber artery by means of tissue engineering.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cell-PGA mixtures were made by separately seeding 1 x 10(7) smooth muscle cells and 5 x 10(6) endothelial cells isolated from neonate umbilicus onto PGA scaffold, the cell-PGA constructs were wrapped around a silicone tube before its implantation subcutaneously to nude mice and the mice were sacrificed in 2 and 6 weeks. The tissue engineered artery (TEA) were examined both grossly and immunohistochemically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gross appearance of TEA was similar to that of the natural counterparts; histologic and immunohistochemical analyses of the neoformed tissues revealed a typical artery structure, including the presence of EC at the luminal surface and the presence of SMC and collagen in the wall.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TEA with histology similar to natural vessel can be constructed by tissue engineering.</p>