ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of apigen on articular cartilage repair involving chondrocytes transfected with bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP-7).Methods lnterleukin (IL-8) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were induced by IL-1 β in rabbit chondrocytes.After apigen at different concentrations (10 μmol/L,25 μmol/L,and 50 μmol/L) was added into the culture system,the effect of apigen on IL8 and sICAM-1 production was observed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Then chondrocytes were seeded on improved matrigel gel bracket and culturedin vitro to construct the compound,which was then transplanted into the rabbit model of articular cartilage defection.The rabbits were randomly divided into sham group (n =4),trans-BMP-7 group (n =4),and trans-BMP-7 + apigen group (n =4).Histological observation was conducted and Wakitani score calculated after 5 weeks.Results The concentrations of IL-8 and sICAM-1 in the chondrocytes supernatant in vitro significantly decreased after apigen treatment at 10 μmol/L,25 μmol/L,and 50 μmol/L [(6803.63 ±162.31) ng/g,(6005.74 ±201.49) ng/g,and (5202.34 ±271.67) ng/gvs.(10011.84±239.29) ng/g ; P =0.00].Five weeks after the cartilage cells on matrigel gel bracket were transplanted into rabbit models,the Wakitani scores of the trans-BMP-7 group and the trans-BMP-7 + apigen group were significantly lower than that of the sham group [(3.68 ± 0.86) vs.(8.25 ± 0.90),P =0.00 ; (3.21 ± 0.78) vs.(8.25 ±=0.90),P =0.00].In addition,no inflammatory reaction was noted during the repair in the trans-BMP-7 + apigen group.Conclusion Apigen can promote the construction of compound and repair of articular cartilage defects by trans-BMP-7 chondrocyte.