Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells/biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics for cartilage repair in juvenile rats

Li Guo-wei; Guo Yuan-qing; Chen Tao; Zhang Kui-bo; Yu Bing; Zhang Da-wei; Zhang Rong-kai

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2017.30.005

Abstract：BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of pediatric femoral head necrosis is associated with cartilage injury of the hip joint induced by stress and inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)/biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics (B-CPC) on cartilage repair in juvenile rats. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 1 week, were randomized into three groups. No intervention was done in blank group. A juvenile rat model of articular cartilage injury was made using improved Hulth's method in control and observational groups, followed by implantation of BMSCs/hydroxyapatite and BMSCs/B-CPC,respectively. Four weeks later, the rat articular cartilage was observed pathologically, and MTT and flow cytometry were employed to detect chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The articular cartilage of the rats in the blank group was smooth and complete. In the control group, articular cartilage damage was obvious, presenting with rupture, defect and irregularity of the articular cartilage surface, as well as unclear four-layer structure of the cartilage. In the observational group, articular cartilage injury was repaired to some extent. At the same observation time, the cell viability was significantly increased in the observational group compared with the control group (all P < 0.05), and the proportion of apoptotic cells was significantly decreased (all P < 0.05). To conclude, BMSCs/B-CPC composite can promote the cartilage repair in juvenile rats.