Background aims: Flap necrosis is the most commonly encountered outcome influencing the effect of operations in clinical practice. The advent of cytotherapy and regenerative medicine with stem cells, especially adipose-derived stem cell therapy, appears to be a promising approach in providing multi-lineage differentiating cells. However, autologous stem cells are limited in both quantity and quality in aging individuals. Hence, xenogenic stem cell therapy was used in this study.
Methods: Random pattern flaps (6 cm × 2 cm) were prepared in a rabbit model transplanted either with 4 × 10(5) human adipose-derived stem cells at five sites or equal volumes of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium. At 7 days after operation, the viability of the flaps from both groups was evaluated. We determined the numbers of locally infiltrating T cells, whereas the CD4/CD8 ratio, interferon, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-10 in the serum were determined to evaluate the immunological response of the rabbit. Moreover, Dil labeling was administrated to trace the homing of the transplanted stem cells.
Results: Both the survival areas and the capillary number of the flaps that were injected with human adipose-derived stem cells significantly increased as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, no significant difference in the immune response was detected between the groups. Dil-labeled stem cells were found to participate in the formation of tubular structures, which were further shown to be CD31+, although not predominantly.
Conclusions: Human adipose-derived stem cells could be used therapeutically to improve the viability of random pattern flaps without detection of serious immune rejection of stem cells.
Keywords: adipose-derived stem cells; immunomodulatory; random pattern flap; vascularization; xenogenic transplantation.
Copyright © 2014 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.