Investigating the Properties and Capabilities of Rat's Claw Dermal Cells on Interacting with Heterotopic Epidermis

Aim: In this research morphological, cell culture, immunochemical and inductive properties of rat’s claw dermal cells were investigated.
Material and First, the toes and fingers of rat were amputated at the point of the last joint and the amputated parts were processed for histological studies. Moreover, the dermal tissue located beneath the claw’s plate was dissected and cultured in vitro. Cultured cells at passage two or three were transferred on the slide and treated with α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) antibody. Finally the cultured cells were stained with DiI and implanted into the vibrissae semi-follicles and ears.
The rat’s claw dermal cells in terms of morphological, cell culture and expression of ASMA demonstrated similarity with dermal papilla cells of hair follicles. These cells showed a bipolar spindle-shaped morphology having an extracellular matrix rich in glycosaminoglycans. Majority of the cells expressed ASMA in cytoplasm with a higher intensity in lamelopodia. However, with respect to hair follicular dermal papilla cells, the claw dermal cells were not able to induce an ectopic epidermis to form the skin appendage.
The inductive capability which has been seen in hair follicle’s dermal papilla cells can not be generalized to dermal cells present in other skin appendages, including claw. Based on the results presented here, the inductive factors exist in hair follicle dermal papilla cells is not expressed in the claw dermal cells.