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Improved wound healing of postischemic cutaneous flaps with the use of bone marrow‐derived stem cells
Author(s) -
Hu Melissa,
Ludlow David,
Alexander J. Steven,
McLarty Jerry,
Lian Timothy
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.24293
Subject(s) - stem cell , wound healing , medicine , bone marrow , bone marrow stem cell , surgery , pathology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Objectives/Hypothesis To determine if the intravascular delivery of mesenchymal stem cells improves wound healing and blood perfusion to postischemic cutaneous flap tissues. Study Design Randomized controlled study. Methods A murine model of a cutaneous flap was created based on the inferior epigastric vessels. Mice (n = 14) underwent 3.5 hours of ischemia followed by reperfusion. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) 1 × 10 6 were injected intravenously. Wound healing was then assessed measuring percent flap necrosis, flap perfusion, and tensile strength of the flap after a period of 14 days. Localization of BMSCs was determined with radiolabeled and fluorescent labeled BMSCs. Results Postischemic cutaneous flap tissues treated with BMSCs demonstrated significantly less necrosis than control flaps ( P <0.01). Beginning on postoperative day 5, BMSC‐treated flaps demonstrated greater blood perfusion than untreated flaps ( P <0.01). Tensile strength of BMSC‐treated cutaneous flaps was significantly higher ( P <0.01), with a mean strength of 283.4 ± 28.4 N/m than control flaps with a mean of 122.4 ± 23.5 N/m. Radiolabeled BMSCs localized to postischemic flaps compared to untreated tissues ( P = 0.001). Fluorescent microscopy revealed incorporation of BMSCs into endothelial and epithelial tissues of postischemic flaps. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the intravascular delivery of BMSCs increases wound healing and promotes flap survival following ischemia‐reperfusion injury of cutaneous tissue flaps. Laryngoscope , 124:642–648, 2014