人真皮成纤维细胞体外构建组织工程化软骨的初步探索

目的 利用软骨细胞提供的体外软骨诱导微环境,探讨人真皮成纤维细胞在体外构建软骨的可行性.方法 分别培养猪的软骨细胞与人真皮成纤维细胞,将2种细胞按1:1(软骨细胞:成纤维细胞)比例混匀,以5.0×10~7/ml的终浓度接种于聚羟基乙酸支架(PGA,直径9 mm,高2mm)作为共培养组,相同终浓度的单纯软骨细胞和单纯成纤维细胞分别接种于相同支架作为阳性对照及阴性对照.每组各接种3个标本,每个接种细胞悬液200 μl.全部标本均于体外培养8周后取材,通过大体观察、湿重测定、组织学及免疫组化等相关检测对构建软骨进行评价.结果 软骨细胞组(阳性对照组)基本保持了复合物初始的大小和形状,组织周边和中央均有较均质的软骨陷窝样结构形成,表达软骨特异性细胞外基质;共培养组的组织稍有缩小,组织周边也有软骨陷窝样结构形成,表达软骨特异性细胞外基质,但组织内大部分区域形成了纤维样组织,特别是通过人核抗原免疫组化和对应的Safranin O染色结果,可以看到少量人核抗原阳性的细胞形成了较成熟的陷窝样结构,表达软骨特异性基质.单纯成纤维细胞组(阴性对照组)在体外培养过程中逐渐皱缩变形,未形成软骨样组织.结论 软骨细胞共培养体系可以有效地诱导人真皮成纤维细胞中一定比例的细胞向软骨分化,并能在体外构建软骨样组织.

Preliminary study on tissue-engineered cartilage with human dermal fibroblasts co-cultured with porcine chondrocytes in vitro

Objective To explore the feasibility of constructing tissue-engineered cartilage with human dermal fibroblasts(HDFs)in vitro. Methods Porcine articular chondrocytes and HDFs were isolated and in vitro expanded respectively. Then they were mixed at the ratio of 1:1 (chondrocytes: fibroblasts). The mixed cells were seeded onto polyglycolic acid(PGA)scaffold at the ultimate concentration of 5.0×10~7/ml as co-culture group.Chondrocytes and HDFs at the same ultimate concentration were seeded respectively onto the scaffold as chondrocyte group (positive control group)and fibroblast group(negative control group). The specimens were collected after in vitro culture for 8 weeks. Gross observation, histology and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the results. Results In chondrocyte group, the cell-scaffold constructs could maintain the original size and shape during in vitro culture. The new formed cartilage-like tissue had typical histological structure and extracellular matrix staining similar to normal cartilage. In co-culture group the constructs shrunk slightly at 8 weeks, cartilage-like tissue formed and GAG could be detected for strong expression by Safranin O staining.Furthermore, using the specific identification, a few HDFs derived cells were found to form lacuna structure at the peripheral area of cartilage-like tissue. In fibroblast group, the constructs deformed and shrunk gradually without mature cartilage lacuna in histology. Conclusion The 3D-co-culture system can effectively induce the differenciation of HDFs to chondrocytes. The tissue-engineered cartilage can be constructed in vitro with the 3D-co-culture system.