BACKGROUND: Silk fibroin is extracted from the natural polymer fibrin, which has a good physical and chemical properties and biocompatibility. While there is no report addressing activation of T lymphocytes after implantation of regenerated porous silk fibroin film at home and abroad.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the activation of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood monouclear cells (PBMC), spleen and thymus on local trauma after implantation of regenerated porus silk fibrion film.
METHODS: Wound with an area of 2 cm×2 cm was established by removing SD rats’ skin of back, and randomly divided into two groups: experimental group and control group. Pretreated regenerated porous silk fibroin film was covered in experimental group, and the epidermis of the excisional skin covered silk fibroin film to undergo suture. At 3, 14, 28, 56, 90 days after operation, would healing and residue of silk fibroin film were observed. Two-color immunofluorescence and flow cytometry technology were used to analyze CD3+CD25+/ CD3+T cell percentage of PBMC, spleen and thymus in rats.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At the early stage of implantation, local and slight inflammatory cell infiltration could be seen between experimental and control groups, mainly lymphocytes. After 28 days, inflammatory cells were gradually decreased; the results between two groups were the same in the whole dynamic observation. Activated T cell of PBMC was transiently increased before 14 days, and then decreased. After 28 days, the level of activated T cell was tending towards stability. There was no significant difference between experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). T cells in spleen and thymus had small amounts of activation, and then began to decline and tended toward stability. Positive rate of CD3+CD25+/ CD3+T cell in thymus was slightly higher than that in spleen, and there was no significant difference between experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). It is indicated that regenerated porus silk fibrion film plays a small part in activation of T lymphocyte, and causes a weaker ability of cellular immune response.