Abstract
Biologic mechanisms by which skin grafts become revascularized after transplantation are poorly understood. To investigate graft revascularization, we examined the pattern of capillary growth in full‐thickness skin grafts at serial time points. Full‐thickness skin (2 × 2 cm) was excised to muscle fascia from the bilateral hind limbs of adult male Lewis rats. The graft/wound base boundary was identified by placement of a polypropylene mesh on the wound beneath the graft. Excised skin was replaced in its original orientation and secured with silk sutures tied over a gauze bolster dressing. After 3, 5, 7, and 10 days, animals were killed, and their aortas were cannulated and infused with an acrylic polymer to generate vascular casts. Grafts were excised, tissues were digested, and casts were examined with the use of scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on tissues infused with the acrylic polymer that were not digested. At day 3, an immature lobular pattern was observed extending from the neovascular plexi on the graft side of the polypropylene mesh. At day 5, defined vessels with lobular ends occurred with high frequency. At day 7, the number of observed lobular structures was greatly reduced, and high frequencies of depressions in acrylic casts suggested protrusion of endothelial cell nuclei. By day 10, lobular structures were rare, well‐defined microvascular plexi were contiguous with larger vessels, and depressions from endothelial cell nuclei appeared more shallow and less frequent. These findings suggest that (1) an immature lobular pattern representing either capillary outgrowth or extracapillary leakage occurs at day 3; (2) these immature lobules decrease, and more discrete capillaries increase by day 5; (3) vascular integrity is reestablished by day 7; (4) vascular plexi has regained full continuity, and there are suggestions that endothelial cell proliferation has subsided by day 10.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 213-220 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Wound Repair and Regeneration |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Fingerprint
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Dermatology
Cite this
Capillary morphogenesis during healing of full‐thickness skin grafts : An ultrastructural study. / Goretsky, Michael J.; Breeden, Matthew; Pisarski, Gregory; Harriger, M. Dana; Boyce, Steven T.; Greenhalgh, David G.
In: Wound Repair and Regeneration, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1995, p. 213-220.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Capillary morphogenesis during healing of full‐thickness skin grafts
T2 - An ultrastructural study
AU - Goretsky, Michael J.
AU - Breeden, Matthew
AU - Pisarski, Gregory
AU - Harriger, M. Dana
AU - Boyce, Steven T.
AU - Greenhalgh, David G
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - Biologic mechanisms by which skin grafts become revascularized after transplantation are poorly understood. To investigate graft revascularization, we examined the pattern of capillary growth in full‐thickness skin grafts at serial time points. Full‐thickness skin (2 × 2 cm) was excised to muscle fascia from the bilateral hind limbs of adult male Lewis rats. The graft/wound base boundary was identified by placement of a polypropylene mesh on the wound beneath the graft. Excised skin was replaced in its original orientation and secured with silk sutures tied over a gauze bolster dressing. After 3, 5, 7, and 10 days, animals were killed, and their aortas were cannulated and infused with an acrylic polymer to generate vascular casts. Grafts were excised, tissues were digested, and casts were examined with the use of scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on tissues infused with the acrylic polymer that were not digested. At day 3, an immature lobular pattern was observed extending from the neovascular plexi on the graft side of the polypropylene mesh. At day 5, defined vessels with lobular ends occurred with high frequency. At day 7, the number of observed lobular structures was greatly reduced, and high frequencies of depressions in acrylic casts suggested protrusion of endothelial cell nuclei. By day 10, lobular structures were rare, well‐defined microvascular plexi were contiguous with larger vessels, and depressions from endothelial cell nuclei appeared more shallow and less frequent. These findings suggest that (1) an immature lobular pattern representing either capillary outgrowth or extracapillary leakage occurs at day 3; (2) these immature lobules decrease, and more discrete capillaries increase by day 5; (3) vascular integrity is reestablished by day 7; (4) vascular plexi has regained full continuity, and there are suggestions that endothelial cell proliferation has subsided by day 10.
AB - Biologic mechanisms by which skin grafts become revascularized after transplantation are poorly understood. To investigate graft revascularization, we examined the pattern of capillary growth in full‐thickness skin grafts at serial time points. Full‐thickness skin (2 × 2 cm) was excised to muscle fascia from the bilateral hind limbs of adult male Lewis rats. The graft/wound base boundary was identified by placement of a polypropylene mesh on the wound beneath the graft. Excised skin was replaced in its original orientation and secured with silk sutures tied over a gauze bolster dressing. After 3, 5, 7, and 10 days, animals were killed, and their aortas were cannulated and infused with an acrylic polymer to generate vascular casts. Grafts were excised, tissues were digested, and casts were examined with the use of scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on tissues infused with the acrylic polymer that were not digested. At day 3, an immature lobular pattern was observed extending from the neovascular plexi on the graft side of the polypropylene mesh. At day 5, defined vessels with lobular ends occurred with high frequency. At day 7, the number of observed lobular structures was greatly reduced, and high frequencies of depressions in acrylic casts suggested protrusion of endothelial cell nuclei. By day 10, lobular structures were rare, well‐defined microvascular plexi were contiguous with larger vessels, and depressions from endothelial cell nuclei appeared more shallow and less frequent. These findings suggest that (1) an immature lobular pattern representing either capillary outgrowth or extracapillary leakage occurs at day 3; (2) these immature lobules decrease, and more discrete capillaries increase by day 5; (3) vascular integrity is reestablished by day 7; (4) vascular plexi has regained full continuity, and there are suggestions that endothelial cell proliferation has subsided by day 10.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84989104577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84989104577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1524-475X.1995.30213.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1524-475X.1995.30213.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84989104577
VL - 3
SP - 213
EP - 220
JO - Wound Repair and Regeneration
JF - Wound Repair and Regeneration
SN - 1067-1927
IS - 2
ER -