To visualize the vasculature in native and decellularized flaps, a contrast agent (
Visipaque, GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL, USA) mixed with normal saline (1:2) was injected into the arterial pedicle using constant syringe pressure. Image acquisition was performed with a Powermobil C-Arm (Siemens, Munich, Germany). Images were exported in DICOM format and visualized with Osirix software 12.0 (Pixmeo, Bernex, Switzerland). This examination was performed on each flap before and after decellularization.
Scanning electron microscopy was performed for decellularized flaps at the Schepens Eye Institute core facility, supported by the NIH National Eye Institute Core Grant #P30EY003790. Briefly, the samples were dehydrated in graded ethanol solutions and dried at the critical point using a
Samdri 795 critical point dryer (Tousimis, Rockville, MD, USA), then mounted on aluminum pedestals and chromed using a Gatan high-resolution ion beam coater (Gatan Inc., Pleasanton, CA, USA). Different surfaces of the samples were imaged using a
JEOL JSM-7401F field emission scanning electron microscope (JEOL Inc., Peabody, MA, USA), allowing a qualitative assessment of the scaffold architecture.
Lupon E., Acun A., Taveau C.B., Oganesyan R., Lancia H.H., Andrews A.R., Randolph M.A., Cetrulo CL J.r., Lellouch A.G, & Uygun B.E. (2024). Optimized Decellularization of a Porcine Fasciocutaneaous Flap. Bioengineering, 11(4), 321.