ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE ENZYMATICALLY DIGESTED HUMAN AMNIOTIC BASEMENT MEMBRANE / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Using enzymatic digestions on human amniotic basement membrane (HABM), it was observed ultrastructurally that heparinase Ⅱ digestion resulted in formation of microvilli on the surface of HABM and thinning and vesiculation of lamina densa and lamina lucida layers. This suggested that the heparinase Ⅱ-digested HABM had increased its surface area for more efficient cell attachment. The main action of heparinase Ⅱ is to digest heparan sulphate on HABM surface, which leads to exposure of more sites of laminin for cell attachment and neurite outgrowth; therefore heparinase Ⅱ-digested HABM can increase neuronal growth to 150%. For those HABM digested by heparinase Ⅰ, collagenase Ⅰ, and chondroitinase AC, they lost most of the sites for attachment and neurite outgrowth and as a consequence, the growth of neurons decreased. This morphological study supports heparinase Ⅱ digested HABM as an ideal substratum for neuronal attachment and growth.