[Possibility of using cartilage cultured in centrifuge tube as a substitute for meniscus].
OBJECTIVE
To compare biological characteristics between articular chondrocyte and meniscal fibrochondrocyte cultured in vitro and to investigate the possibility of using cultured cartilage as a substitute for meniscus.


METHODS
Chondrocytes isolated from articular cartilage and meniscus of rabbits aged 3 weeks were respectively passaged in monolayer and cultured in centrifuge tube. Cartilages cultured in centrifuge tube and meniscus of rabbit aged 6 weeks were detected by histological examination and transmission electron microscopy. Growth curves of articular chondrocytes and meniscal fibrochondrocytes were compared; meanwhile, cell cycles of articular chondrocytes and meniscal fibrochondrocytes in passage 2 and 4 were separately measured by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Articular chondrocytes in passage 4 were dedifferentiated. Articular chondrocytes formed cartilage 2 weeks after cultivation in centrifuge tube, but meniscal fibrochondrocytes could not generate cartilage. The differences in ultrastructure and histology obviously existed between cultured cartilage and meniscus; moreover, apoptosis of chondrocytes appeared in cultured cartilage. Proportion of subdiploid cells in articular chondrocytes passage 2 and 4 was markedly higher than that in passage 2 and 4 fibrochondrocytes (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Meniscal fibrochondrocytes can not form cartilage after cultivation in centrifuge tube, while cartilage cultured in centrifuge tube from articular chondrocytes can not be used as graft material for meniscus. Articular cartilage is markedly different from meniscus.
Division of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Human diseases of Ministry of Education, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu Sichuan 610041, PR China. orthop@public.cd.sc.cn
Jian
J
Wang
Zhiming
Z
Yang
Huiqi
H
Xie
Tingwu
T
Qin
D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods