Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Ear cartilage, an optional framework for acellular matrix, loses its antigenicity to chondrocytes after acellular treatment; therefore it has a good compatibility with seed cells.
OBJECTIVE: To extract and culture rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; to composite the stem cells with xenogenous acellular ear cartilage framework; and to explore the biocompatibility between them both.
METHODS: Rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated, cultured in vitro and induced into cartilage cells. The acellular cartilage framework was obtained by trypsin-Triton combined method; then the two were composited in vitro. The composited framework was fixed for histological staining and scanning electron microscopic observation on 10 day after composite.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were induced into cartilage cells on 14 day after  in vitro induction. Type Ⅱ collagen immunohistochemistry showed the cytoplasm was brownish yellow; rabbit ear acellular cartilage matrix was ivory white. Histological staining and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the pores were evenly distributed on the framework after acellular treatment; the framework has complete structure with massive acid mucopolysaccharide and collagen components. The pore size was (33.70±4.33) μm; the porosity was (65.23±7.35)%. Histological staining and scanning electron microscopy of the composite framework showed good adhesion between the two, accompanied by large amounts of matrix secretion. These findings indicate that the chondrocytes induced from rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have a good biocompatibility with allogenic acellular ear cartilage.