Metabolize Analysis of Chondrocytes Cultured in Alginate in Response to Cyclical Dynamic Com-pression

Abstract：Objective To analyze the matrix metabolite of isolated chondrocytes cultured in alginate in response to cycli-cal dynamic compression. Methods The chondrocytes were isolated from the 2-months rabbit knees cartilage,and the chon-drocytes were cultured in alginate. The cells were treated with cyclical dynamic compression by using Flexcell - 5000 compres-sion system kept under an uncompressed condition as a control. The mRNA gene expression of aggrecan(AGG),type Ⅱcolla-gen,type X collagen and matrix metalloproteinases 13(MMP - 13)were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT - PCR)at 7,14 and 21 day after under loading. Results A significant up - regulation was observed in the gene expression of AGG and type Ⅱcollagen on 7 day in the experimental group compared to control group,but showed no signifi-cant difference on 14 and 21 days. The type X collagen and MMP - 13 mRNA gene expression were significantly increased on 14 days in the experimental group compared to control group. There were no significant difference on 7 and 21 days. Conclu-sion Chondrocytes cultured in alginate can keep their matrix synthetic ability under the physiological compression early,but the cells degenerate and hypertrophy over loading time.