title: The optimal combination of cartilage source and apparatus for long-term in vitro chondrocyte viability analysis.
abstract: Most studies of long-term chondrocytes survival were for tissue banks. They showed a gradual reduction in the viable chondrocytes percentage as a function of time and ambient temperature, but the samples were harvested under optimal conditions. The aim of our study was to determine the most reliable combination of cartilage source and assay for the in vitro postmortem chondrocyte viability analysis in the conditions that imitate a dead body. Osteochondral cylinders were procured from femoral condyles and talar trochleas of three male donors and stored in the cell culture media at 4 ± 2°C and 23 ± 2°C. The samples were analyzed by a cell viability analyzer and a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) initially 24-36 h after death and then in 4-week intervals. The results reconfirmed the significant influence of time (p = 0.0002), but not of the temperature (p = 0.237). The largest reproducibility was presented for the knee joint and the CLSM.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. armin.alibegovic@mf.uni-lj.si
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alibegović
authors.forename: Jože
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balažic
authors.forename: Danijel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petrovič
authors.forename: Nevenka Kregar
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Velikonja
authors.forename: Rok
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blagus
authors.forename: Dušan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suput
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drobnič
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000473:pathology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013696:Temperature