Experimental Research On Construction Of Tissue Engineering Esophagus Model With Culture Of Human Normal Esophageal Epithelial Cells On Porous Silk Fibroin Scaffold In Vitro

OBJECTIVE:To verify the adhesion and growth ability of human esophageal epithelial cells(EECs) on porous silk fibroin scaffold, to observe the biocompatibility of human esophageal epithelial cells with porous silk fibroin scaffold, and to explore the potential significance possibility of porous silk fibroin as an extracellular matrix material in esophagus tissue engineering.METHODS:Human normal esophageal epithelial cells were isolated, proliferated in vitro, and then seeded and cultured on porous silk fibroin scaffold with an appropriate concentration. The proliferation and differentiation pattern of esophageal epithelial cells in vitro and the biocompatibility of grafting-grafted composite were studied by histological and scanning electron microscopic examinations.RESULT:The cells displayed a cobblestone-shaped morphology that was characteristic of the epithelial cells and were stained to be positive for cytokeratin, which indicated that was EECs. The EECs were well distributed and adhered to the porous silk fibroin scaffold, and maintained their characteristics throughout the culture period.CONCLUSION:Sequential enzyme digestion is fit for human esophageal epithelial cell isolation. The porous silk fibroin scaffold with its porous structure was highly biocompatible and noncytotoxic as determined by EECs adhesion and proliferation. The porous silk fibroin scaffold may serve as one prospective scaffold material in esophagus tissue engineering.