title: Comparison of biochemical characteristics of cultured fibrochondrocytes isolated from the inner and outer regions of human meniscus.
abstract: In order to evaluate the ability of fibrochondrocytes to synthesize collagen and proteoglycan, human medial meniscal cells were cultured in a monolayer. Meniscal cells were prepared from the two regions (outer 1/3 and inner 2/3) in consideration of the difference in vascular supply, and articular chondrocytes were also obtained from the same knee joint. Regarding total collagen synthesis, regional differences were not found, but age-related differences were found in human medial meniscus. In contrast, proteoglycan synthesis revealed significant regional differences; meniscal cells from the inner 2/3 synthesized a greater amount of proteoglycan. After long-term monolayer culturing, proteoglycan synthesis by meniscal cells decreased in a time-dependent manner, and morphological changes to fibroblast-like cells were found. In the presence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, proteoglycan synthesis increased in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that the inner regions of the human meniscus contain cells with a chondrocytic phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumagae
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000166:cytology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D003094:Collagen