Experimental Study of a Hybrid Artificial Esophagus Using Cultured Human Esophageal Epithelial Cells.

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An artificial esophagus has been reconstructed by cell culture method. It is important to line inner side of the artificial esophagus with epithelium to prevent strictures and reinforce the lumen. Normal human epithelial cells were cultured on the collagen in which polyglycolic acid (PGA) mesh was embedded. 7 days later, atube was made by suturing the edge of PGA mesh in vitro. The tube consisting of human epithelium and collagen-PGA mesh was transplanted on the surface of alattisimus dorsi muscle flap of an athymic rat. On the 20th day after transplantation, the luminal structure was maintained without strictures.To accelerate stratification of the esophageal epithelial cells, they were cultured on a collagen sheet in which 0,4 and 8*10^5 cells/ml of human fibroblasts were already embedded respectively. They were examined histologically 3 weeks later. Though human epithelial cells on a collagen sheet without fibroblasts stratified 2-3 fold, on collagen in which fibroblasts 4*10^5 cells/ml were embedded, they stratified 4-5 fold. Further fibroblasts 8*10^5 cells/ml were embedded in, they stratified 17-18 fold and differentiated much more.The sheet consisting of human epithelium, fibroblasts 4*10^5 cells/ml and collagen was transplanted on a surface of the abdominal rectus muscle of an athymic rat. It was examined histologically 2 weeks later. Angiogenesis from the rectus muscle into the collagen sheet and more than 10 fold stratification of the epithelium were observed.Stratification of the human epithelial cells were accelerated by the fibroblasts. The fibroblasts are very useful for stratification of inner side of the artificial esophagus eventually.