BACKGROUND

Modern regenerative medicine widely uses biodegradable scaffolds to improve skin function recovery after damage and to correct age-related changes. Calcium-containing fillers should be considered the most promising for derma activation and restoration, as they are long-term implants with a pronounced augmentation effect.

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of calcium hydroxyapatite-based injection implants with collagen-stimulating microspheres on the derma cellular compartment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty male Wistar rats weighing 200–250 g were included in the study. Animals of the experimental group received the calcium hydroxyapatite-based product with collagen-stimulating microspheres; sterile normal saline was used in the group of intact animals (control). The product was administered as subdermal injections of 0.05 ml, and biological material was sampled at 1 and 2 weeks and 1, 2, 3, and 5 months. Monoclonal antibodies SD68 and vimentin (LabVision) were used to determine the expression of immunohistochemical markers. Detection of α-SMA was performed using Anti-Actin-antibody antibody (1:200, Abcam, UK).

RESULTS

The obtained data indicate that the calcium hydroxyapatite-based product with collagen-stimulating microspheres is a biodegradable filler inducing dermal response to its injection via step-wise inflammatory response to a foreign body, including stages of protein adsorption, dermal cell recruitment, and extracellular matrix production.

CONCLUSION

The dermal response to a calcium hydroxyapatite-based filler with collagen-stimulating microspheres proceeds as a reactive inflammation associated with the recruitment of dermal cells along the temporary matrix formation pathway.