Experimental study on the eyelid reconstruction in situ with the silk fibroin membrane / 中华实验眼科杂志

ABSTRACT

Background Autologous and allograft renal transplantation exist some disadvantages of less donor source and rejection.As a scaffold of cell in tissue engineering,fibroin was determined to have a good biocompatibility.But whether the fibroin membrane can become a substitution for tissue defect is seldom reported.Objective This experiment aimed to investigate the feasibility of silk fibroin membrane in the rabbit eyelid reconstruction in situ.Methods A 4 mmx3 mm tarsi defect model was created on the upper eyelids of 18 healthy New Zealand white rabbits.The eyelid reconstruction in situ was performed with regenerated silk fibroin membrane material in the right upper eyelids (silk fibroin group ) and allogenic sclera material (sclera group ) on the upper eyelids of fellow eyes.The grafts were clinically examined for the evaluation of inflammation and implant exposure at the first,second and forth week after operation.The inflammation response and collagen distribution were examined by hematoxylin & eosin staining and Masson staining.Expression of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) in the grafts was detected by immunohistochemistry,and ImagePro Plus software was used for statistical analysis.Results All eyelid defects showed a primary healing.The surface of palpebral conjunctival was smooth and the inflammation of ocular surface was mild.The eyelid margin in the sclera group was more notch than that in the silk fibroin group.Results of pathological examination revealed that the arrangement of collagen fibers in the sclera group was more disordered,but that in the silk fibroin group was regular.The expression level(A value) of b-FGF in the operative area in silk fibroin group were 0.027 67±0.004 69,0.051 73±0.008 72,0.058 72±0.006 88,and those in the sclera group were 0.056 48±0.009 14,0.072 83 ± 0.009 17 and 0.078 73 ±0.010 84 in 1,2,4 weeks after operation,showing statistically significant differences between two groups in various time points ( t =- 6.38,t =- 4.99,t =- 2.87,P ＜0.05 ).Conclusions Silk fibroin membrane can reconstruct the eyelid shape in situ with the less inflammation response and good biocompatibility.Silk fibroin membrane could be used to support the eyelid as a new tarsal repairing materials.