骨髓基质细胞修复猪膝关节非负重区软骨与骨复合缺损的实验研究

目的 探讨猪骨髓基质细胞(bone marrow stromal cells,BMSC)复合聚羟基乙酸／聚乳酸(PGA／PIA)支架修复关节软骨与骨复合缺损的可行性。方法 杂交猪18只,抽取股骨骨髓,体外培养、扩增BMSC并分别经地塞米松诱导(A组)或地塞米松与转化生长因子β1(TGFβ1)联合诱导(B组),以免疫组织化学、逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测其软骨分化表型。其中有2只猪部分BMSC经绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因转染标记。诱导后的细胞分别接种到PGA／PLA支架,体外培养1周后植入猪自体股骨下端非负重面软骨及骨复合缺损处,单纯支架植入(C组)及空白不处理(D组)作为对照。上述动物分别于3(6只)、6(10只)个月时取材,进行大体观察、修复结果分级、组织学检查、葡糖氨基聚糖(GAG)含量测定及生物力学测定。含GFP标记细胞的2只猪7个月时取材,共聚焦显微镜观察植入细胞的分布。结果 诱导后BMSC均能表达软骨特征性的Ⅱ型胶原与聚集蛋白聚糖(aggrecan),两组细胞均与支架材料黏附良好。术后大体观察与组织学检查显示：A组缺损以不完全修复为主,多数缺损软骨修复不良,而骨缺损基本修复,组织学主要为纤维性软骨及松质骨;B组缺损以完全修复为主,组织学表现为透明软骨及松质骨,少部分标本修复组织中含有纤维性软骨;两对照组缺损主要由纤维性组织修复或无明显新生组织,软骨与骨缺损均明显存在。3个月时,A、B组软骨修复组织弹性模量分别达到正常关节软骨的30．37％及43．82％,6个月时达到正常的62．69％及80．27％。6个月时,A组软骨修复组织GAG含量达到正常的78．03％,B组与正常组间差异无显著意义。含GFP标记细胞的修复标本经共聚焦显微镜观察可见：新生的软骨陷窝及松质骨小梁内均含有荧光标记的细胞。结论BMSC在关节缺损内可分别向软骨细胞与成骨细胞分化,同时修复软骨与骨复合缺损,恢复关节正常结构;TGFβ1与地塞米松联合诱导可促进BMSC向软骨细胞分化,改善其修复关节缺损的效果。

Repairing porcine knee joint osteochondral defects at non-weight bearing area by autologous BMSC

OBJECTIVE: To test the possibility of using bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and biodegradable polymers to repair articular osteochondral defects at non-weight bearing area of porcine knee joints. METHODS: Bone marrows were harvested from 18 hybrid pigs. BMSC were cultured and in vitro expanded and induced with dexamethasone (group A) or with dexamethasone and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) (group B) respectively. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were used to evaluate chondrogenic differentiation of induced cells. Part of BMSC of 2 animals were retrovirally-labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). After induction and label, cells were seeded on a construct of polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polylactic acid (PLA) and co-cultured for 1 week before implantation. Total 4 osteochondral defects (8 mm in diameter, 5 mm in depth) in each animal were created at the non-weight bearing areas of knee joints on both sides. The defects were repaired with dexamethasone induced BMSC-PGA/PLA construct in group A, with dexamethasone and TGF-beta1 induced BMSC-PGA/PLA construct in group B, with PGA/PLA construct alone (group C) or left untreated (group D) as controls. Animals were sacrificed at 3 months (n = 6) or 6 months (n = 10) post-repair. Gross observation, histology, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) quantification and biomechanical test were applied to analyze the results. The two animals with GFP-labeled cells were sacrificed at 7 months post-repair to observe with confocal microscope the distribution of GFP-labeled cells in repaired tissue. RESULTS: Stronger expression of type II collagen and aggrecan were observed in BMSCs induced with both dexamethasone and TGF-beta1. At both time points, Gross observation and histology showed that the defects in most of group A were repaired by engineered fibrocartilage and cancellous bone with an irregular surface, minority defects were repaired by engineered hyaline cartilage and cancellous bone. However, in most of group B, the defects were completely repaired by engineered hyaline cartilage and cancellous bone. No repair or only fibrous tissue were observed in groups C and D. Besides, the compressive moduli of repaired cartilage in groups A and B reached 30.37% and 43.82% of normal amount at 3 months and 62.69% and 80.27% at 6 months respectively, which was further supported by the high levels of GAG contents in engineered cartilage of group A (78.03% of normal contents) and group B (no statistical difference from normal contents). More importantly, confocal microscope revealed the presence of GFP-labeled cells in engineered cartilage lacuna and repaired underlying cancellous bone. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that implanted BMSC can differentiate into either chondrocytes or osteoblasts at different local environments and repair a complex articular defect with both engineered cartilage and bone. TGF-beta1 and dexamethasone in vitro induction can promote chondrogenic differentiation of BMSC and thus improve the results of repairing articular defects.