Peritoneal fibrosis with denuded mesothelial cells due to a peritoneal dialysis therapy for chronic renal failure is one of the most serious complications. In this study, cell sheet engineering techniques for damaged tissue were focused, and the transplantation of cell injection and cell sheet were evaluated using a mice model with damaged peritoneum. 

To establish the model, a daily intraperitoneal injection of 0.1% chlorhexidine gluconate was given to male nude mice for 7 days. The human mesothelial cell sheet prepared from temperature-responsive surfaces were transplanted into mice parietal peritoneum, and human mesothelial cells were injected into the peritoneal cavity of another mice. Thereafter, pathological changes in the peritoneal membrane were observed, and the existence of cell sheet was examined. 

In the model, microscopic examination revealed a progressive thickening of the submesothelial layer. The cell injection observed progressive thickening and left one cell on the parietal peritoneum at three days after the transplantation and no cell at one week. On the other hand, the transplanted cell sheet could observe reduce of a progressive thickening and survived cells at two weeks. The sheet was observed to cover the host tissue at one week and stay as mesothelial lining on the parietal peritoneum. The cause of this phenomenon was considered to be the enhancement of attachment and repair of the damaged peritoneum by the cell sheet. 

These results indicate that the developed mesothelial cell sheet can be applied for repairing damaged peritoneum.