Isolation of canine adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells from falciform tissue obtained via laparoscopic morcellation: A pilot study

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of stem cell isolation from falciform fat harvested via laparoscopic morcellation. Study design Pilot study. Animals Eleven client‐owned dogs. Methods Falciform was harvested traditionally via laparotomy and laparoscopically via tissue morcellation. Harvested tissue was processed with a commercially available adipose tissue dissociation kit to obtain a stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Cells were subsequently labeled for CD90, CD45, and CD44 cell surface antigens by using magnetic‐activated cell sorting (MACS) and fluorescence‐activated cell sorting flow cytometry. CD90+ cells were quantitated, and their viability was assessed with a hemocytometer and a trypan blue exclusion test of cell viability. Results No perioperative complications occurred in dogs undergoing laparoscopic morcellation. Laparoscopically and traditionally harvested samples yielded an average of 0.39 (±0.1) × 106 and 0.33 (±0.1) × 106 CD90+ cells, respectively, per 10 million SVF cells. CD90+ cell viability after MACS was 89% (±11%) for morcellated and 86% (±7%) for traditionally harvested samples. Neither CD90+ cell quantity nor viability was different between samples obtained via traditional laparotomy vs laparoscopic morcellation (P = .38 and P = .63, respectively). Populations of CD90+ cells isolated with each harvest technique had similar CD44 and CD45 expression profiles. Conclusion Viable populations of CD90+ cells with similar CD44/CD45 expression profiles were isolated from laparoscopically morcellated and traditionally harvested falciform tissue. No appreciable morbidity was associated with laparoscopic falciform morcellation. Clinical significance Laparoscopic morcellation is a safe and effective minimally invasive approach to falciform tissue harvest for adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cell isolation.