Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2010, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (21): 3811-3814.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2010.21.003

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Calcium alginate beads combined with autologous chondrocyte for repair of adult rabbit articular cartilage injury

Wu Di1, Zhao Zhi-jun2, Zhu Xiao-song1, Yang Hao1, Li Qing1, Ma Ke1   

  1. 1 Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming   650032, Yunnan Province, China; 2 the First Clinical College of Kunming Medical College, Kunming   650031, Yunnan Province, China
  • Online:2010-05-21 Published:2010-05-21
  • Contact: Zhao Zhi-jun, Studying for master’s degree, the First Clinical College of Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan Province, China zzjdq@163.com
  • About author:Wu Di☆, Doctor, Attending physician, Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China xywud@sohu.com
  • Supported by:

    General Program of Applied Basic Study of Yunnan Province, No. 20088C117M*

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Cartilage defect is always one of the difficulties in the field of orthopedics. Tissue engineering technology for repairing cartilage defects, a recently developed method, has been gradually considered a promising means of articular cartilage defects treatment.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the short-term effect of rabbit articular cartilage defects repaired by calcium alginate beads-autologous chondrocyte transplantation.
METHODS: Thirty adult New Zealand white rabbits were adopted in this study. The chondrocytes were harvested from their left knee of every group, and the model of articular cartilage injury was manufactured in the right knee. The in vitro cultured autologous chondrocytes of the third generation were composited alginate gel, then mixed with CaCl2 solution to prepare bead-like condensate, cultured in vitro for 4 weeks. The holes of the experimental group were implanted with calcium alginate beads-autologous chondrocyte composite, the control group with calcium alginate beads without cells, and the blank control group without any treatment.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All 30 New Zealand white rabbits were included. With the exception of 1 rabbit exhibited unilateral ankylosis of postoperative knee stiffness, the other joint activities after surgery had no obstacles. All the animals showed no postoperative infection or deaths. Hematoxylin-eosin stain showed that, repair tissue mainly was hyaline cartilage in the experimental group, and fiber-based cartilage in the control group, but repairing effect was not obvious in the blank group, mainly fibrous soft tissue repair. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated repair tissue expression was type Ⅱ collagen expression in the experimental group, in the control group, type Ⅱ collagen was stained lightly, with less type Ⅱ collagen expression. The repair tissue in the blank group did not express type Ⅱ collagen. Results revealed that calcium alginate beads-autologous chondrocyte is effective in the repair of cartilage defects, indicating that autologous chondrocytes combined with calcium alginate beads can provide a better idea for cartilage tissue engineering.

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