Histocompatibility of a polypropylene matrix for hair follicle transplantation in rabbits / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the histocompatibility of a polypropylene matrix implanted subcutaneously for potential hair follicle transplantation in rabbits.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The polypropylene matrix for harboring the hair follicles was prepared and implanted subcutaneously at the neck of 5 New Zealand white rabbits by means of hair follicle unit transplantation. At 1 week after the transplantation and then on a monthly basis in the following 6 months, full-thickness skin tissues were sampled at the site of grafting to evaluate the histocompatibility of the matrix material using HE staining and scanning electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 1 week after implantation of the matrix material, a small number of inflammatory cells and lymphocytic infiltration were observed around the graft, with mild hyperemia in the proliferative capillaries and mild inflammatory responses. In the following 6 months, the inflammatory cells and lymphocytes around the graft decreased obviously or even disappeared, and such graft rejection responses as tissue lysis and necrosis were not observed. A large quantity of collagen fibers were found to encapsulate the polypropylene material.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Polypropylene matrix graft has good histocompatibility with the rabbit subcutaneous tissue without producing obvious graft rejection responses, suggesting its feasibility for further experiments of hair follicle transplantation.</p>