OBJECTIVETo investigate the application and mechanism of tissue-engineered skin with mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) for the full-thickness skin defects on mice.

METHODSThe MEFs and fibroblasts were cultured and seeded in scaffold made of rat tail collage. ELISA method was used for detection of secretory function. The full-thickness skin defects were created on mice and covered by MEFs-scaffold complex (experimental group), or FBs-scaffold complex (control group 1), or scaffold only (control group 2). The process of wound healing was evaluated by observation of the re-epithelization rate. Microvessel density (MVD) and vimentin within the wound sites were also detected with immunohistochemistry staining technique to describe the characteristics of wound healing. Hoechst 33342 staining was performed to trace MEFs'fate.

RESULTSMEFs scaffold group had higher level secretion of IL-6 and lower of TGF-beta1 than FBs scaffold group (P<0.05). Compared with wounds in control groups, the wounds in MEFs group healed markedly fast (P<0.05) and the MVD was significantly higher (P <0.05). The fibroblasts in the wounds of MEFs group were arranged regularly and the MEFs decreased during the healing process.

CONCLUSIONSThe MEFs-scaffold complex can promote wound healing with less scar formation. MEFs may have an inducing effect on the wound healing.