Ge. Romanos et Jr. Strub, EFFECT OF TISSUCOL(R) ON CONNECTIVE-TISSUE MATRIX DURING WOUND-HEALING - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY IN RAT SKIN, Journal of biomedical materials research, 39(3), 1998, pp. 462-468
Fibrin sealants are very useful in different surgical fields. Fixation
of free gingival grafts, root coverage procedures, and other techniqu
es increasing connective tissue attachment may be associated with the
application of Tissucol(R) in periodontology. The aim of this study wa
s to evaluate the influence of the fibrin sealant in the extracellular
matrix, as well as alterations of the connective tissue matrix during
wound-healing processes. In the back dermis of 15 Net male rats, Tiss
ucol(R) was implanted after intraperitoneal anesthesia. The implant ma
terial was placed in subcutaneous pockets (2 cm in length) which were
sutured with interproximal sutures (test and control pockets). At 4, 7
, 14, 21, and 28 days after surgery, biopsies of the healed and surrou
nding tissues were taken, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and examined hist
ologically and immunohistochemically with antibodies against collagen
types I, III, IV, V, VI, and VII. The findings showed thick and thin c
ollagen type I and III fibers, respectively, with different orientatio
ns localized around the implant material. An increased amount of blood
vessels and capillaries (their basement membranes containing collagen
type TV) was observed during wound healing which may be associated wi
th the implantation of the sealant. Collagen type V fibers were locali
zed from the first days to the 4th postoperative week and, without any
inflammatory reaction (according to histologic staining), formed a fi
brillar extracellular matrix with high collagenase resistance. Collage
n type VI showed a microfibrillar pattern of distribution, and collage
n type VII was localized in the dermo-epidermo junction and very deep
in the connective tissue in the form of anchoring fibers (only in the
test group) during the 4 postoperative weeks of healing. The data show
ed that Tissucol(R) is a biocompatible component which cannot produce
any extensive inflammatory reaction in the matrix. New blood vessel fo
rmation, an epithelial-connective tissue interface with high stability
, as well as matrix alterations with high resistance in the proteolyti
c enzymes (i.e., colla genases) can be induced in the connective tissu
e after use of a Abrin sealant. All of these characteristics may be of
great importance in connective tissue healing in periodontal surgical
procedures. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.