Objective

Meniscus tissue is composed of highly aligned type I collagen embedded with cartilaginous matrix. This histological feature endows mechanical properties, such as tensile strength along the direction of the collagen alignment and endurance to compressive load induced by weight bearing. The main objective of this study was to compare the fibrocartilage construction capability of different cell sources in the presence of mechanical stimuli.

Design

Synovial multipotent stem cells (SvMSCs) and meniscal chondrocytes (MCs) from immature and mature rabbits were maintained under similar conditions for comparative evaluation of growth characteristics and senescence tendency. The differentiation potential of cell sources, including fibrocartilage generation, were comparatively evaluated. To determine the capability of fibrocartilage generation, cultured cell sheets were rolled up to produce cable-form tissue and subjected to chondrogenic induction in the presence or absence of static tension.

Results

Although SvMSCs showed superior cell growth characteristics during in vitro cell expansion, senescence-associated β-galactosidase expression was consistently higher, compared with MCs. MCs showed glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-rich matrix formation during default in vitro chondrogenesis. While application of static tension significantly reduced GAG production, MCs continued to show robust tissue growth. SvMSCs showed inferior chondrogenic differentiation and diminished tissue growth in the presence of static tension.

Conclusions

While SvMSCs produced fibrous tissue during default in vitro chondrogenesis, their fibrocartilage generation potential in the presence of static tension was significantly lower, compared with MCs. Our results support evaluation of cellular response to tensile stimulus as a decisive factor in determining the ideal cell source for fibrocartilage reconstruction.

中文翻译：

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滑膜多能干细胞和半月板软骨细胞纤维软骨重建能力的比较评估。

 客观的

半月板组织由嵌入软骨基质的高度排列的 I 型胶原组成。这种组织学特征赋予了机械性能，例如沿胶原排列方向的拉伸强度和对承重引起的压缩载荷的耐受力。本研究的主要目的是比较不同细胞来源在机械刺激下的纤维软骨构建能力。

 设计

将未成熟和成熟兔子的滑膜多能干细胞（SvMSC）和半月板软骨细胞（MC）保存在相似的条件下，以比较评估生长特性和衰老趋势。对细胞来源的分化潜力（包括纤维软骨的生成）进行了比较评估。为了确定纤维软骨生成的能力，将培养的细胞片卷起以产生缆状组织，并在存在或不存在静态张力的情况下进行软骨形成诱导。

 结果

尽管 SvMSC 在体外细胞扩增过程中表现出优异的细胞生长特性，但与 MC 相比，衰老相关的 β-半乳糖苷酶表达始终较高。 MCs 在默认的体外软骨形成过程中显示出富含糖胺聚糖 (GAG) 的基质形成。虽然施加静张力显着减少了 GAG 的产生，但 MC 继续表现出强劲的组织生长。 SvMSC 在静张力存在下表现出较差的软骨形成分化和组织生长减少。

 结论

虽然 SvMSC 在默认的体外软骨形成过程中产生纤维组织，但与 MC 相比，它们在静张力存在下的纤维软骨生成潜力明显较低。我们的结果支持评估细胞对拉伸刺激的反应，作为确定纤维软骨重建的理想细胞来源的决定性因素。