ULTRASTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF DECELLULARIZED DIABETIC AND NON-DIABETIC CANINE PANCREAS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOLOGICAL SCAFFOLDS

Background The canine species plays a significant role in the history of research related to Diabetes Mellitus, since it was in this species that the disease was first experimentally induced. The decellularization of organs and tissues is a recent technology for the creation of biomaterials. However, the production of scaffolds is already established and is a promising source to new tissues and organs in Regenerative Medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrastructure of the decellularized canine pancreas extracellular matrix obtained from different protocols aiming to describe best protocol to preserve the extracellular matrix. Methods Pancreas was collected from diabetic and non-diabetic dogs, and samples were subsequently sectioned in ± 1 cm. Decellularization protocol was performed using 4% Sodium Deoxycholate (SDC) or 0.5% Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) ionic detergents or 1% Triton X-100 non-ionic detergent under immersion and agitation during four days at room temperature. A final wash step was carried out in distilled water 3 times 30 minutes in orbital agitation. Histological techniques and Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis were carried out to evaluate physical structure, architectural and tissue ultrastructure, respectively. Results The surface of the native and decellularized diabetic and non-diabetic canine pancreas matrices were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy to analyze the efficiency of the decellularization process in each protocols. Thethree decellularization protocols were efficient to remove the cells from the tissue. However, 4% SDC ionic detergent showed higher efficiency of cell removal and preservation of collagen fibers in the extracellular matrix. Conclusion The decellularized canine pancreas using 4% SDC ionic detergent presented better preservation of extracellular matrix fibers, when compared with the other protocols with 0.5% SDS or 1% Triton X-100, being this one recommended for production of pancreas scaffolds in Veterinary Medicine.