[An experimental study of using porcine small intestinal submucosa to repair rat full skin defect]

To investigate the feasibility of using the porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) as a kind of the new tissue engineered materials to repair the rat full skin defect.

Twenty-eight 6-week-old SD rats weighing 300-350 g were selected in this experimental study. Two 2-cm-diameter round full skin defects were made on the rat back. The upper round defect was used as the blank group, which had no coverings, and the lower round defect was used as the SIS group. SIS that had been produced earlier was transplanted in the defected area. At 3 days, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after the transplantation, the observation was made on the repaired skin conditions, the HE stain, and the repaired skin proportion.

There was no infection in the two groups. The repairing speed in the SIS group was faster than that in the blank group at 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks after the transplantation. The skin repaired by SIS was soft and elastic in texture, which had the same high level as the normal skin. The scar tissues in the SIS group were thinner than those in the blank group. The repaired skin proportions at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after the transplantation were 15.72%+/-3.64%, 43.81%+/-4.87%, 65.35%+/-5.63%, 87.95%+/-4.78%, 96.90%+/-6.89% and 100%, respectively in the SIS group, and 13.42%+/-5.63%, 58.74%+/-4.48%, 76.50%+/-5.23%, 92.30%+/-5.75% and 100%, respectively in the blank group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after the transplantation (P<0.05). Under the microscope, the SIS-repaired skin was observed to have more keratinocytes and collagen tissues, which was familiar to the normal skin.

Porcine SIS can be used as a new kind of the tissue engineered materials to repair the full skin defect.