The extracellular matrix (ECM) has been successfully used as a scaffold for constructive remodeling of multiple tissues in both preclinical studies and in human clinical applications. The basement membrane is a specialized form of the ECM that supports and facilitates the growth of epithelial cell populations. The morphology and the molecular composition of the ECM, including the basement membrane, vary depending upon the organ from which the ECM is harvested and the methods by which it is processed for use as a medical device. Processing steps, such as decellularization, lyophilization, disinfection, and terminal sterilization, may affect the morphology and composition of an ECM scaffold, including, but not limited to, the integrity of a basement membrane complex. The present study evaluated the presence and integrity of a basement membrane complex in processed ECM derived from three different tissues: the urinary bladder, small intestine, and liver. Immunohistochemical determination of the presence and localization of three basement membrane molecules, collagen IV, laminin, and collagen VII, was conducted for each ECM scaffold. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to further explore the surface ultrastructure of selected ECM scaffolds. The effect of a surface basement membrane presence upon the pattern of in vitro growth of two separate cell types, NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC), was also evaluated for each ECM scaffold. Results showed that the only intact basement membrane complex was found on the luminal surface of the ECM derived from the urinary bladder and that the basement membrane was an effective barrier to penetration of the scaffold by the seeded cells. We conclude that the urinary bladder ECM but not the small intestine- or liver-derived ECM contains a surface with composition and morphology consistent with that of an intact basement membrane complex, that the basement membrane complex can survive processing, and that the basement membrane structure can modulate in vitro cell growth patterns.

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The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was harvested by removing the superficial layers of the mucosa and the external muscular layers. The remaining 80 microns thick sheet was disinfected and sterilized by methods which removed all cellular components. The SIS-ECM, retaining its native 3-dimensional microarchitecture and composition, was evaluated for its ability to support in vitro cell growth. Six separate cell types were seeded either alone or in coculture with other cells upon this matrix, grown in selected media, a examined daily for time periods ranging from 48 h to 2 weeks. The six cell types tested were NIH Swiss mouse 3T3 fibroblast, NIH 3T3/j2 fibroblasts, primary human fibroblasts, primary human keratinocytes, human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs), and an established rat osteosarcoma (ROS) cell line. All cell types showed the ability to attach a proliferate. All fibroblast cell line and the keratinocytes proliferated and/or migrated into the 3-dimensional scaffold of the SIS matrix. The ROS cells and the HMECs were confined in their growth pattern to the surface of the matrix. Coculturing of NIH 3T3/J2 fibroblasts and primary human keratinocytes resulted in a distinctive spatial orientation of the two cell types. The fibroblast populated the mid-substance of the 3-dimensional matrix and the keratinocytes formed an epidermal structure with rete ridge-like formation and stratification when the composite was lifted to an air liquid interface in culture. In summary, SIS provides a substratum with a 3-dimensional scaffold that allows for cell migration and spatial organization. The substratum is suitable for in vitro studies of the interaction between epithelial or mesenchymal cells and a naturally occurring extracellular matrix.

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