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Human eccrine sweat gland cells reconstitute polarized spheroids when subcutaneously implanted with Matrigel in nude mice

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Abstract

Increasing evidence indicates that maintenance of cell polarity plays a pivotal role in the regulation of glandular homeostasis and function. We examine the markers for polarity at different time points to investigate the formation of cell polarity during 3D reconstitution of eccrine sweat glands. Mixtures of eccrine sweat gland cells and Matrigel were injected subcutaneously into the inguinal regions of nude mice. At 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 weeks post-implantation, Matrigel plugs were removed and immunostained for basal collagen IV, lateral β-catenin, lateroapical ZO-1 and apical F-actin. The results showed that the cell polarity of the spheroids appeared in sequence. Formation of basal polarity was prior to lateral, apical and lateroapical polarity. Collagen IV was detected basally at 2 weeks, β-catenin laterally and ZO-1 lateroapically at 3 weeks, and F-actin apically at 4 weeks post-implantation. At week 5 and week 6, the localization and the positive percentage of collagen IV, β-catenin, ZO-1 or F-actin in spheroids was similar to that in native eccrine sweat glands. We conclude that the reconstituted 3D eccrine sweat glands are functional or potentially functional.

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Acknowledgments

The manuscript was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81471882, 81071551), and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (2014A030313476).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Burn and Plastic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, North Dongxia Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China

    Haihong Li, Mingjun Zhang, Liyun Chen & Xuexue Li

  2. Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, North Dongxia Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China

    Haihong Li & Bingna Zhang

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  1. Haihong Li
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  2. Mingjun Zhang
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  3. Liyun Chen
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  4. Xuexue Li
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  5. Bingna Zhang
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Correspondence to Haihong Li.

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We declare we have no competing financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations.

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Li, H., Zhang, M., Chen, L. et al. Human eccrine sweat gland cells reconstitute polarized spheroids when subcutaneously implanted with Matrigel in nude mice. J Mol Hist 47, 485–490 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-016-9690-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-016-9690-3

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