Tissue-engineered tubular substitutions for urinary diversion in a rabbit model

Abstract

Clinically, autologous gastrointestinal segments are traditionally used for urinary diversion. However, this procedure often causes many serious complications. Tissue engineering may provide an alternative treatment method in urinary diversion. This research aims to produce tissue-engineered tubular substitutions by using homologous adipose-derived stem cells, smooth muscle cells, and bladder acellular matrix in developing urinary diversion in a rabbit model. Adipose-derived stem cells and smooth muscle cells of rabbit were obtained and cultured in vitro. These cultured adipose-derived stem cells and smooth muscle cells were seeded onto the two sides of the bladder acellular matrix and then incubated for seven days. The cell-seeded matrix was used to build tissue-engineered tubular substitutions, which were then implanted and wrapped into the omentum in vivo for two weeks to promote angiogenesis. In the experimental group, the bladder of 20 rabbits was totally resected, and the above tissue-engineered tubular substitutions were used for urinary diversion. In the control group, bladder acellular matrix tubular substitutions with unseeded cells were implanted into the omentum and were used as urinary diversion on another five rabbits with the same process. The implants were harvested, and histological examination was conducted at 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after operation. Intravenous urography assessment was performed at 16 weeks postoperatively. All the rabbits were alive in the experimental group until they were sacrificed. Histological analysis of the construct displayed the presence of multilayer urothelial cells on the luminal side and organized smooth muscle tissue on the other side, and different diameters of neovascularization were clearly identified in the substitutions obtained. No leakage, stricture, or obstructions were noted with intravenous urography assessment. All the animals in the control group died within two weeks, and urine leakage, scar formation, and inflammation were detected through autopsy. This study demonstrates the feasibility of tissue-engineered tubular substitutions constructed using homologous adipose-derived stem cells, smooth muscle cells, and bladder acellular matrix for urinary diversion in a rabbit model.

Decellularized scaffolds in regenerative medicine

“…Jejunum [ 81 ] [ 80 ] [ 79 ] [ 78 ] [ 77 ] scaffold is more potent promoting cell proliferation and angiogenesis compared to scaffolds of bladder [ 81 ]. However, visceral scaffolds may not be, or less, effective for parenchymal organs regeneration [ 82 ].…”

The interplay between adipose-derived stem cells and bladder cancer cells

“…Due to significant problems associated with the use of gastrointestinal segments for bladder augmentation, new methods for urinary tract reconstruction are being sought 9 , 10 . Most of these methods use cell-seeded matrices to build tissue-engineered tubular grafts 11 , 12 . New, biologically derived scaffolds seeded with autologous cells for bladder wall substitution are also investigated 13 – 15 .…”

Evaluation of PC12 Cells’ Proliferation, Adhesion and Migration with the Use of an Extracellular Matrix (CorMatrix) for Application in Neural Tissue Engineering

“…In the product, bovine type-I collagen was used to support live fibroblasts for the purpose of facilitating the healing process [ 7 ]. Recently, special acellular materials have been used in the same process; they contain growth factors derived from the urinary bladder and placental bed [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. They constitute a non-toxic in vitro environment and promote adhesion, infiltration and proliferation of human fibroblasts and keratinocites.…”