title: Three-dimensional visualization analysis of in vitro cultured bone fabricated by rat marrow mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: Marrow mesenchymal stem cells are well known for their differentiation into bone-forming osteoblasts and in vitro mineralized tissue formation. However, process details, including tissue structure and cellular environments, remain unclear. The present study demonstrates three-dimensional visualization of tissue fabricated by culturing MSCs in the presence of calcein, a fluorescent marker for bone mineralization. The 3D visualization was performed by computer-assisted confocal laser scanning microscopy and revealed that the in vitro tissue consisted of layers of a mineralized matrix with round cells in the matrix lacunae, an unmineralized matrix (osteoid), and osteoblastic cells on the osteoid surface. The findings show that the mineralization by cultured MSCs is an in vitro counterpart of in vivo bone formation and indicate that the novel technique of visualization without tissue fixation could be useful for continuous monitoring of tissue organization in an ongoing culture.
authors.affiliation: Tissue Engineering Research Center (TERC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 3-11-46 Nakoji, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-0974, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohgushi
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000378:metabolism; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D051381:Rats; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins; D004247:DNA; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; C007740:fluorexon