Detection of Collagen in Rat Abdominal Wound Healing: Contributions of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Platelet-Rich Plasma

Abstract

Although new surgical techniques and technologies have attempted to combat the occurrence of hernias, patients continue to suffer from hernias following abdominal surgeries. Regenerative therapy, including the use of bone marrow derived-mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP), offers a new avenue to reducing the problem of hernias seen in post-operative patients. In this study, midline laparotomies were performed on Lewis rats. The incision was repaired with CollaTape or Allomax mesh with or without the addition of MSCs and/or PRP. At 4 and 8 weeks postoperative, abdominal fascia was excised (n=7 per group). The current study attempted to detect collagen type I (COLI) with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in paraffin-embedded sections from CollaTape supplemented abdominal walls. IHC was unsuccessful at identifying COLI. Future studies may require the identification of new antibodies that are effective in paraffin-embedded tissues. Collagen amount and organization, and myocyte degeneration of healed abdominal walls repaired with AlloMax were compared using Trichrome stained slides. AlloMax, with the addition of MSCs, resulted in decreased collagen production when compared to AlloMax with PRP. However, abdominal wall repaired with AlloMax, PRP and MSCs had a greater positive correlation between collagen organization and amount than uninjured abdominal wall. MSCs ability to suppress immune response may be deleterious to abdominal wound healing when combined with Allomax surgical mesh. Although the use of MSCs did not improve collagen redistribution in a healing abdominal wound in this study, the research presented here may lead to future discoveries involving MSC supplemented wound repair.