Conclusions
In wounds with exposed bone, autogenic ADSCs can promote vascularization and wound healing. Use of this cell source has multiple benefits, including convenient clinical application and lack of ethical concerns.
Methods
Adipose tissues harvested from the bilateral inguinal regions of Wistar rats were used as ADSCs. Rats were randomly divided into control and ADSC groups to investigate the efficacy of ADSC transplantation for wound healing (n = 20 per group). Soft tissue defects were created on the heads of the rats and were covered with artificial dermis with or without the seeded ADSCs. Specimens from these rats were evaluated using digital image analysis, histology, immunohistochemistry, cell labeling, and real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR).
Results
The average global wound area was significantly smaller in the ADSC group than in the control group on days 3, 7, and 14 after surgery (p<0.05). After 14 days, the blood vessel density in the wound increased by 1.6-fold in the ADSC group compared with that in the control group (p<0.01). Real-time RT-PCR results showed higher Fgfb and Vegf expression levels at all time points, and higher Tgfb1 and Tgfb3 expression levels until 14 days after surgery in the ADSC group than in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: In wounds with exposed bone, autogenic ADSCs can promote vascularization and wound healing. Use of this cell source has multiple benefits, including convenient clinical application and lack of ethical concerns.