ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BASAL CELLS IN 3-DIMENSIONAL CULTURE MODELS OF THE SKIN

Keratinocytes were cultured on fibroblast-free dermal substitutes made of type I collagen film (collagen dermal substitute) and an extracellular matrix gel film (matrix dermal substitute), each of which was laid on a lyophilized type I collagen sponge. The morphology of the basal keratinocytes in these three-dimensional culture models of the skin was studied ultrastructurally and immunohistochemically to assess their differentiation to basal cells. The basal keratinocytes in the artificial epidermis cultured on the collagen dermal substitute showed poorly organized tonofibril networks and desmosomes. Neither the tonofibril-hemidesmosome complex nor the lamina densa were detected along the interface, where many cytoplasmic projections of basal keratinocytes were noted. There were no detectable antigens of type IV or VII collagen, LDA-1, or laminin in the interface. Bullous pemphigoid (BP) and 1-2B7B antigens and integrins were expressed along the cytoplasmic membrane and the projections of the basal keratinocytes. A high molecular weight keratin (keratin 1, 68 kDa, 34betaB4) was detected only in part of the uppermost layers of this artificial epidermis. In contrast, basal keratinocytes in the artificial epidermis on the matrix dermal substitute developed tonoribril networks radiating to desmosomes and hemidesmosomes, under which a primitive lamina densa was present. Basement membrane zone antigens, such as type IV and VII collagens, LDA-1 and laminin were noted along the interface as were 1-2B7B and BP antigens and integrins. Laminin and type VII collagen were also detected along or in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum of basal keratinocytes. The high molecular weight keratin was detected in the suprabasal layers of this artificial epidermis, but the basal keratinocytes lacked expression of this epitope as does epidermis in vivo. The artificial epidermis cultured on the matrix dermal substitute had a basal layer of keratinocytes that could be characterized as basal cells, forming junctional structures resembling those of epidermis in vivo.