Zonal chondrocyte subpopulations reacquire zone-specific characteristics during in vitro redifferentiation.
BACKGROUND
If chondrocytes from the superficial, middle, and deep zones of articular cartilage could maintain or regain their characteristic properties during in vitro culture, it would be feasible to create constructs comprising these distinctive zones.


OBJECTIVE
Zone-specific characteristics of zonal cell populations will disappear during 2-dimensional expansion but will reappear after 3-dimensional redifferentiation, independent of the culture technique used (alginate beads versus pellet culture).


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
Equine articular chondrocytes from the 3 zones were expanded in monolayer culture (8 donors) and subsequently redifferentiated in pellet and alginate bead cultures for up to 4 weeks. Glycosaminoglycans and DNA were quantified, along with immunohistochemical assessment of the expression of various zonal markers, including cartilage oligomeric protein (marking cells from the deeper zones) and clusterin (specifically expressed by superficial chondrocytes).


RESULTS
Cell yield varied between zones, but proliferation rates did not show significant differences. Expression of all evaluated zonal markers was lost during expansion. Compared to the alginate bead cultures, pellet cultures showed a higher amount of glycosaminoglycans produced per DNA after redifferentiation. In contrast to cells in pellet cultures, cells in alginate beads regained zonal differences, as evidenced by zone-specific reappearance of cartilage oligomeric protein and clusterin, as well as significantly higher glycosaminoglycans production by cells from the deep zone compared to the superficial zone.


CONCLUSIONS
Chondrocytes isolated from the 3 zones of equine cartilage can restore their zone-specific matrix expression when cultured in alginate after in vitro expansion.


CONCLUSIONS
Appreciation of the zonal differences can lead to important advances in cartilage tissue engineering. Findings support the use of hydrogels such as alginate for engineering zonal cartilage constructs.
Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Wouter
W
Schuurman
Debby
D
Gawlitta
Travis J
TJ
Klein
Werner
W
ten Hoope
Mattie H P
MH
van Rijen
Wouter J A
WJ
Dhert
P René
PR
van Weeren
Jos
J
Malda
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002356:Cartilage / Q000254:growth & development; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006736:Horses; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans