Spontaneous redifferentiation of dedifferentiated human articular chondrocytes on hydrogel surfaces.
Chondrocytes rapidly dedifferentiate into a more fibroblastic phenotype on a two-dimensional polystyrene substratum. This impedes fundamental research on these cells as well as their clinical application. This study investigated the redifferentiation behavior of dedifferentiated chondrocytes on a hydrogel substratum. Dedifferentiated normal human articular chondrocyte-knee (NHAC-kn) cells were released from the sixth-passage monolayer cultured on a polystyrene surface. These cells were then subcultured on a chemically crosslinked copolymer hydrogel, that is, poly(NaAMPS-co-DMAAm), and the cells thus obtained were used as the seventh-passage cultivation. Copolymer gels were synthesized from a negatively charged monomer, the sodium salt of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (NaAMPS), and a neutral monomer, N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm). These gels were of different compositions because the molar fraction (F) of NaAMPS was varied (F = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0). The dedifferentiated NHAC-kn cells spontaneously redifferentiated to normal NHAC-kn cells on neutral (F = 0) and poly(NaAMPS-co-DMAAm) hydrogels of low charge density (F = 0.2). This was deduced from the cell morphology and expression of cartilage-specific genes and proteins. These results should enable us to establish a simple and efficient method for preparing large amounts of chondrocytes by cultivation on the surfaces of neutral and low-charge-density hydrogels.
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Jing Jing
JJ
Yang
Yong Mei
YM
Chen
Jian Fang
JF
Liu
Takayuki
T
Kurokawa
Jian Ping
JP
Gong
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels