Microvascular Fragments Protect Ischemic Musculocutaneous Flap Tissue from Necrosis by Improving Nutritive Tissue Perfusion and Suppressing Apoptosis

Microvascular fragments (MVF) derived from enzymatically digested adipose tissue are functional vessel segments that have been shown to increase the survival rate of surgical flaps. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clarified so far. To achieve this, we raised random-pattern musculocutaneous flaps on the back of wild-type mice and mounted them into dorsal skinfold chambers. The flaps were injected with MVF that were freshly isolated from green fluorescent protein-positive (GFP(+)) donor mice or saline solution (control). On days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 after surgery, intravital fluorescence microscopy was performed for the quantitative assessment of angiogenesis, nutritive blood perfusion, and flap necrosis. Subsequently, the flaps were analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry. The injection of MVF reduced necrosis of the ischemic flap tissue by ~20%. When compared to controls, MVF-injected flaps also displayed a significantly higher functional capillary density and number of newly formed microvessels in the transition zone, where vital tissue bordered on necrotic tissue. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed a markedly lower number of cleaved caspase-3(+) apoptotic cells in the transition zone of MVF-injected flaps and a significantly increased number of CD31(+) microvessels in both the flaps’ base and transition zone. Up to ~10% of these microvessels were GFP(+), proving their origin from injected MVF. These findings demonstrate that MVF reduce flap necrosis by increasing angiogenesis, improving nutritive tissue perfusion, and suppressing apoptosis. Hence, the injection of MVF may represent a promising strategy to reduce ischemia-induced flap necrosis in future clinical practice.