Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2025 Jun 25. doi: 10.1002/ar.70010. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Repair of volumetric muscle loss (VML) lesions tends to be poor, leading to fibrosis and functional loss. Here we investigated the effectiveness of fresh versus cryopreserved autologous adipose tissue transplantation to facilitate repair. Wistar rats were distributed into four experimental groups: normal control, VML lesions, VML lesions treated with a fresh autologous adipose tissue graft, and VML treated with a cryopreserved autologous adipose tissue graft. At 60 days post-intervention, a histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical analysis was performed to assess changes related to the degree of fibrosis, vascularization, and innervation. These changes were quantified and statistically analyzed. The changes generated by the two types of adipose tissue implanted in the VML lesion were highly similar, with some significant differences favoring the use of cryopreserved adipose tissue. Compared with the VML group, the following outcomes were observed: (1) significant presence of regenerated muscle fibers; (2) significant reduction of fibrosis, albeit with a higher proportion of type III collagen; (3) significant increase in the microvascular pattern; and (4) significant reduction in the number of angulated atrophic muscle fibers and increase in cytoarchitectural changes indicative of reinnervation. This study suggests that autologous adipose tissue transplantation in VML lesions promotes reintegrative processes, facilitating the regeneration and formation of new muscle fibers. Furthermore, the freezing did not diminish outcomes in the CAAT group, highlighting its potential for preservation in tissue banks and applications in regenerative medicine.
PMID:40557468 | DOI:10.1002/ar.70010
