ABSTRACT
Objective To isolate, culture and expand SD rat synovial mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and identify their potential multilineage differentiation. Methods Traumatic osteoarthritis models were made in SD rats. Synovial tissue was collected under aseptic conditions. The synovial tissue was digested with type I collagenase to isolate synovial mesenchymal stem cells. Cells were purified by limiting dilution of the monoclonal culture and expanded in vitro. After the third passage of culture, growth curve determination, adipogenesis induction, osteoinduction and chondrogenesis induction were performed. Real-time qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of proteoglycan and type Ⅱ collagen after chondrogenic differentiation. Results In the present study, rat synovial mesenchymal stem cells exhibited a homogeneous, fibroblast-like, spindle-shaped morphology after passage in vitro. Synovial mesenchymal stem cells were subjected to adipogenesis induction, osteoinduction and chondrogenesis induction and being identified. Under the influence of inflammatory factors, mRNA of type Ⅱ collagen and proteoglycans was positively expressed in differentiated cells induced by chondrocytes using real-time qPCR and Western blot. Conclusion Rat-derived synovial mesenchymal stem cells still have good chondrogenic potential in inflammatory environment.