Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2011, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (27): 4964-4968.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2011.27.006

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Co-culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and nucleus pulposus cells in vitro 

Xu Yuan, Yu Xing, Xu Lin   

  1. Orthopedic Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing  100700, China
  • Received:2011-01-24 Revised:2011-02-10 Online:2011-07-02 Published:2011-07-02
  • Contact: Yu Xing, Doctor, Associate chief physician, Orthopedic Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China Correspondence to : Xu Lin, Doctor, Chief physician, Doctoral supervisor, Orthopedic Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China
  • About author:Xu Yuan★, Master, Orthopedic Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China xuyuan411@yahoo.cn

PDF

481

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Using stem cell transplantation in the treatment of disc degeneration disease is still limited to the laboratory study.
OBJECTIVE: To co-culture bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) with the degenerative nucleus pulposus cells in vitro, and to explore whether BMSCs promote the expression of extracellular matrix of the nucleus pulposus cells and differentiate into nucleus pulposus-like cells in a directly contact microenvironment.
METHODS: The 6th generation of naturally degenerated nucleus pulposus cells were isolated and co-cultured with the 4th generation of BMSCs through direct contact in vitro, according to different proportions (75:25, 50:50, 75:25). The pure nucleus pulposus cells (100:0) and pure BMSCs (0:100) acted as the positive and negative controls, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of collagen II and aggrecan in the co-culture groups (75:25 and 50:50) showed brighter band than the positive control group (100:0), and there were significant differences of absorbance value. The results of immunohistochemical method of collagen II showed more expressions in the co-culture groups (75:25 and 50:50) than the positive control group (100:0). BMSCs turned into nucleus pulposus-like cells appearance and metachromatic granules increased in the co-culture group. Direct contact of MSCs and nucleus pulposus cell in vitro is essential for BMSCs reversing the nucleus pulposus cells degeneration and differentiating into nucleus pulposus-like cells.

CLC Number: