title: The Extract ofFructus PsoraleaePromotes Viability and Cartilaginous Formation of Rat ChondrocytesIn Vitro.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the extract components of FP on rat chondrocyte function and cartilaginous formationin vitro. Petroleum ether extract (P-e) of FP extract components was selected to treat Sprague-Dawley rat chondrocytes. Cell viability was tested with different concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100μg/mL) of P-e treatment. Concentrations of 0.1 and 1μg/mL P-e conditioned culture mediums were used for treating chondrocytes in experiments. Cell proliferation was measured via DNA incorporation assay. Type II collagen, aggrecan, and Sox-9 genes expression levels were measured with RT-PCR. Additionally, cartilaginous formation was analyzed with type II collagen immunofluorescence, H&E, and alcian blue staining. Concentrations of 0.1 and 1μg/mL P-e showed low cytotoxicity and demonstrated stimulatory effects on chondrocyte proliferation in early stages. Following 6 days of P-e culture, aggrecan and Sox-9 gene expression levels of the 1μg/mL P-e group were upregulated by 1.82- (p< 0.05) and 2.06-fold (p< 0.05), respectively, versus controls. Moreover, 1μg/mL P-e significantly stimulated cell aggregation and type II collagen deposits after 1 week of treatment. Noteworthy, tight cartilaginous structures formed in the 10-day 1μg/mL P-e conditioned culture. These findings suggest that P-e has the potential to treat cartilage degeneration induced by chondrocyte failure.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9750-3189
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: National Innovation and Attracting Talents "111" Base, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Department of Bioengineering, University of California at Los Angeles, 410 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California at Los Angeles, 410 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California at Los Angeles, 410 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Innovation and Attracting Talents "111" Base, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6589-7195
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang