[The primary study on rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in constructing tissue-engineered cartilage].
OBJECTIVE
To study the feasibility of constructing tissue engineered cartilage by differentiated rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSC) cultured in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
The MSC were isolated from the nucleated cells fraction of autologous bone marrow by density gradient centrifuge, and then induced into chondrogenic differentiation by adding dexamethasone, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and ascorbic acid in vitro. After 3 weeks, some cells turned to round shape and secreted metachromatic matrix. The cartilaginoid grafts composed of chondrogenic MSC. Bovine type I collagen and human fibrin were cultured within the chondrogenic medium for 2 weeks in vitro or transplanted subcutaneously adjacent to the knee joint for 3 weeks in vivo.


RESULTS
The most cells in the grafts were degenerated and disappeared after cultured in vitro. But the residual cells were survival and secreted metachromatic staining proteoglycan with toluidine blue, which was characteristic cartilage matrix. The grafts developed into matured cartilage tissue assessed by histological examination after 3 weeks of transplantation in vivo.


CONCLUSIONS
MSC can be used as functional cells to constructing tissue engineered cartilage.
Shan
Y X
YX
Department of Orthopedics Surgery, First Hospital of Bethune University of Medical Sciences, Changchun Jilin, P. R. China 130021.
Liu
Y
Y
Xu
X X
XX
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D003907:Dexamethasone