Collection of Leukocytes, Fibroblasts, and Collagen Within an Implantable Reservoir Tube During Tissue Repair

Abstract

An implantable chamber consisting of a small reservoir and a perforated segment of silicone tubing has been developed for the collection of leukocytes, fibroblasts, and collagen to analyze inflammatory components and fibroplasia during tissue repair. Using aseptic techniques, these sterile chambers were placed into subcutaneous pockets on the backs of Sprague-Dawley rats with cells obtained in daily aspirates for 14 d. Differential cell counts were made by using aliquots from the wound fluid. The aspirated cells represented the characteristic, sequential influx of neutrophils, inflammatory macrophages, lymphocytes, activated macrophages, and fibroblasts documented in other models of tissue repair. On d 14, the connective tissue within the lumen of the silicone tube was removed and analyzed for collagen synthesis by measuring ³H-proline incorporation into collagenase-sensitive protein. This new device for studying wound healing provides a convenient means to harvest cells, fluid, and tissue for cellular, humoral, and biochemical analyses of tissue repair.