Isolation of canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells from falciform tissue obtained via laparoscopic morcellation: A pilot study

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of stem cell isolation from falciform fat harvested via laparoscopic morcellation. Study design Pilot study. Animals Eleven client-owned dogs. Methods Falciform was harvested traditionally via laparotomy and laparoscopically via tissue morcellation. Harvested tissue was processed with a commercially available adipose tissue dissociation kit to obtain a stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Cells were subsequently labeled for CD90, CD45, and CD44 cell surface antigens by using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting flow cytometry. CD90(+) cells were quantitated, and their viability was assessed with a hemocytometer and a trypan blue exclusion test of cell viability. Results No perioperative complications occurred in dogs undergoing laparoscopic morcellation. Laparoscopically and traditionally harvested samples yielded an average of 0.39 (+/- 0.1) x 10(6) and 0.33 (+/- 0.1) x 10(6) CD90(+) cells, respectively, per 10 million SVF cells. CD90(+) cell viability after MACS was 89% (+/- 11%) for morcellated and 86% (+/- 7%) for traditionally harvested samples. Neither CD90(+) cell quantity nor viability was different between samples obtained via traditional laparotomy vs laparoscopic morcellation (P = .38 and P = .63, respectively). Populations of CD90(+) cells isolated with each harvest technique had similar CD44 and CD45 expression profiles. Conclusion Viable populations of CD90(+) cells with similar CD44/CD45 expression profiles were isolated from laparoscopically morcellated and traditionally harvested falciform tissue. No appreciable morbidity was associated with laparoscopic falciform morcellation. Clinical significance Laparoscopic morcellation is a safe and effective minimally invasive approach to falciform tissue harvest for adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell isolation.