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Background. Our laboratory is investigating the tissue engineering of small intestine using intestinal epithelial organoid units seeded onto highly porous biodegradable polymer tubes. This study investigated methods of stimulation for optimizing neointestinal regeneration. Methods. Intestinal epithelial organoid units harvested from neonatal Lewis rats were seeded onto porous biodegradable polymer tubes and implanted into the omentum of adult Lewis rats in the following groups: (1) the control group (group C), implantation alone (n59); (2) the small bowel resection (SBr) group, after 75% SBr (n59); (3) the portacaval shunt (PCS) group, after PCS (n58); and (4) the partial hepatectomy (PH) group, after 75% PH (n58). Neointestinal cyst size was recorded using ultrasonography. Constructs were harvested at 10 weeks and were examined using histology. Morphometric analysis of the neomucosa was obtained using a computer image analysis program (NIH Image, version 1.59). Results. Cyst development was noted in all animals. Cyst lengths and diameters were significantly larger in the SBr group at 7 and 10 weeks compared with the other three groups (P

Background. Previous work from this laboratory has shown that isolated intestinal epithelial organoid units on porous biodegradable polymer scaffolds formed vascularized cysts lined by a neomucosa. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate anastomosis between tissue-engineered intestine and the native small bowel and to observe the effect of this anastomosis on cyst growth. Methods. Intestinal epithelial organoid units from neonatal Lewis rats were seeded onto porous biodegradable polymer tubes made of polyglycolic acid, and they were implanted into the omentum of adult male Lewis rats. Three weeks after implantation, the unitpolymer constructs were anastomosed in a side-to-side fashion to the native jejunum in 20 rats (group 1). The other 18 rats were closed without anastomosis (group 2). All 38 tissue-engineered constructs were harvested 10 weeks after implantation. Four rats underwent upper gastrointestinal (GI) study before they were killed. Results. The rats in group 1 increased their body weights equal to those in group 2, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Upper GI examinations revealed no evidence of either bowel stenosis or obstruction at the anastomotic site. Grossly, the patency of the anastomosis was 90% and the lumen of the cyst was visualized by the upper GI study. At the second operation, there was no significant difference in the size of the cysts in either group: however, at the time the rats were killed, the length of the cysts in group 1 was significantly longer than that in group 2 (P