Abstract:

Objective To construct tissue-engineered skin containing melanin with mixed culture of human keratinocytes （KCs） and melanocytes （MCs） on de-epidermized dermis （DED） in vitro. Methods Single-cell suspension was obtained by digestion of isolated preputial epidermis with pancreatin. Keratinocyte serum-free medium（K-SFM） and modified M254 culture medium were used to culture KCs and MCs respectively. Third-passage KCs were seeded into cell culture flasks and cultured for 48 hours; then, third-passage MCs were seeded into the same cell culture flasks with the MC/KC ratio being 1 ∶ 10 followed by a 5-day coculture. The suspension of third-passage KCs and MCs with the MC/KC ratio of 10 ∶ 1 were seeded onto the surface of a prepared DED and maintained at the air-liquid interface for 11 days following a 4-day submerged culture. Subsequently, the constructed tissue-engineered skin was examined with HE staining, immunohistochemical staining for keratin and Masson-Fontana staining. Results After coculture in flasks for 5 days, KCs exhibited a typical paving-stone appearance, MCs with projected dendrites were scattered in the extracellular space between KCs. HE staining revealed 3 to 6 layers of cells with the formation of stratum corneum after mixed culture on DED for 15 days. Keratin protein was positive throughout the artificial epidermis, and melanin pigments were located in the basal layer of the epidermis as Masson-Fontana staining showed. Conclusions The co-culture of MCs and KCs can form single-cell layers with the contact between MCs and KCs in flasks, and construct tissue-engineered skin with melanin component on DED in vitro.

Key words: tissue-engineered skin