Effects of low-frequency electromagnetic fields on skin wound healing after the transplantation of gene modified epidermal stem cells / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:The repair and management of ful-thickness skin defects resulting from burns and chronic wounds remain a significant unmet clinical chal enge. Using epidermal stem cel s and keratinocyte growth factor for ful-thickness wound repair is a promising approach. Low-frequency electromagnetic fields which are a non-invasive physical stimulation therapy have been recognized as a good method to enhance wound healing. OBJECTIVE:To develop a new strategy to accelerate wound healing by transplanting transfected epidermal stem cel s and keratinocyte growth factor and treating with low-frequency electromagnetic fields in a mouse model. METHODS:Epidermal stem cel s from Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats were isolated and cultured in vitro, then the cel s were labeled with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine and transfected by Ad-KGF, a recombinant adenovirus carrying the keratinocyte growth factor. Mice were given to create ful thickness skin wound on the dorsum and randomly assigned to four groupscontrol group, transplantation of epidermal stem cel s group, transplantation of keratinocyte growth factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s group, and transplantation of keratinocyte growth factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s plus low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The best healing pattern was observed in the keratinocyte growth factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s plus low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure group (P<0.05) at days 9 and 16. 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine labeled cel s existed in the wound in the treated groups at day 9. A significantly increased expression of endogenous keratinocyte growth factor was detected in the transplantation of Keratinocyte Growth Factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s group, and transplantation of keratinocyte growth factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s plus low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure group at day 16. A wel-advanced epithelialization was observed in transplantation of keratinocyte growth factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s plus low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure group at days 16 and 30. These results suggest that low-frequency electromagnetic fields enhanced wound healing fol owing the transplantation of keratinocyte growth factor gene modified epidermal stem cel s.