title: Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into nucleus pulposus cells in vitro.
abstract: To find a new source of seed cells for constructing tissue-engineered intervertebral disc, nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated from New Zealand white rabbits. The nucleus pulposus cells population was fluorescence-laelled and co-cultured with MSCs with or without direct contact. Morphological changes were observed every 12 h. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was performed to assess the expression levels of Sox-9, aggreacan and type II collagen every 24 h after the co-culture. MSCs treated with direct contact rounded up and presented a ring-like appearance. The expression of marker genes was significantly increased when cells were co-cultured with direct contact for 24 h. No significant change was found after coculture without direct contact. Co-culture of NP cells and MSCs with direct contact is a reliable method for generating large amount of NP cells used for cell-based tissue engineering therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. 197401xzx@163.com
authors.forename: Fenghua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D053674:Aggrecans / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D011817:Rabbits; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055758:SOX9 Transcription Factor; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053674:Aggrecans; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D055758:SOX9 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D003094:Collagen