A simple and quick method of directly observing growth and proliferation of composite skin cultured ex vivo

Regular observation of the morphology and density of keratinocytes seeded on the surface of a dermal substitute in the process of constructing composite skin ex vivo is of great significance for the assessment of cell survival, proliferative capacity and the growth rate. But dermal substitutes being commonly used now are opaque, it is impossible to see the seeded cells under a phase-contrast microscope. This article reports a new method of staining the composite skin specimen directly by hematoxylin-eosin without sectioning it, hyalinizing the dermal substitute, and then observing the perfect morphology and number of cells on the surface of the dermal substitute under an ordinary light microscope. This method is simple, quick and able to make an overall judgment about the growth and proliferation of cells from a plane level.