Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Articular chondrocytes grow slowly and easily dedifferentiate in vitro. However, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) can stimulate proliferation and differentiation of articular chondrocytes.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the sequential interaction of bFGF and IGF-1 on articular condrocytes culture.
METHODS: Articular chondrocytes was cultured using growth factors, single bFGF (10 μg/L), single IGF-1 (100 mg/L), sequential bFGF and IGF-1 and were managed by MTT and immunocytochemical technique.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: bFGF obviously promoted proliferation and dedifferentiation of articular chondrocytes in vitro. IGF-1 promoted proliferation of extracellar matrix and expression of chondrocyte phenotypes, but it failed to facilitate multiplication of chondrocytes. Sequential exertion of bFGF and IGF-1 in the culture medium can harvest abundant proliferative chondrocytes with ideal phenotypes in a limited period of culture time.