脱细胞基质材料制备方法及在骨关节软骨损伤修复中的应用

Tissue-engineered acellular matrix material: preparation and application in articular cartilage repair

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that tissue-engineered acellular matrix can induce and promote epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells to evolve into a part of body in vivo compared with the normal extracellular matrix. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of tissue-engineered acellular matrix in articular cartilage repair. METHODS: Totally 30 New Zealand rabbits were randomly allotted to fibroid tissue and acellular matrix groups (n=15 per group), and then articular cartilage defect models, 4 mm in diameter, were established at the white rabbit femoral condyle. Acellular cartilage matrix scaffold was prepared using bovine knee cartilage, and model rats in the acellular matrix group were repaired with acellular cartilage matrix scaffold and the others in the fibroid tissue group repaired with fibroid tissues. Finally, repair effects between two groups were compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The dark blue and porous tissue-engineered acellular matrix material could be found, with a diameter of 5 mm and moderate hardness, and exhibited certain flexibility after cross-linking. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that cell debris, blue-stained nuclear materials and residual extracellular matrix disappeared. Toluidine blue staining found that the porosity of the blue scaffold was 90%, and the swelling ratio was (1 314±337)%. The absorbance value in the acellular matrix group was significantly higher than that in the fibroid tissue group at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 days (P < 0.05). In the fibroid tissue group, defects filled with newborn fibrous scars were overt. By contrast, in the acellular matrix group, the white tissues covered the defect region with smooth surface, and the wound was basically healed, with an unclear boundary after 12 weeks. Moreover, blue-stained, small flattened cells appeared, subchondral bone structure was connected well with the cartilage, and the scaffold was directly degraded. In conclusion, the tissue-engineered acellular matrix material exhibits good biocompatibility, cell adsorption and hydrophilicity, and can promote the defect repair after articular cartilage injury. Therefore, it is a suitable substitute for articular cartilage repair.