Experimental study on chitosan-polyelectrolyte complex as a scaffold for cartilage regeneration in vivo / 实用口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate whether chitosan-polyelectrolyte complex (CS-PEC) can be used as scaffold for chondrocyte culture and for cartilage regeneration in vivo.Methods:Condylar chondrocytes of fetal mouse were seeded onto the three-dimension gel scaffolds of CS-PEC and cultured.The cultured chondrocytes/CS-PEC complex samples were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice and the CS-PEC scaffold without chondrocyte was used as the control.The animals were sacrificed 4 and 8 weeks after operation respectively.Cartilage formulation was observed by histological and immunohistochemical methods.Results:In the in vitro culture the majority of cells attached to the CS-PEC surface and expanded rapidly. 4 weeks after transplantation,in the chondrocytes/CS-PEC complex the scaffold maintained mostly the original structure. Hypertrophic chondrocytes appeared in scaffold materials. CollagenⅡwas positive in the new cartilage. 8 weeks after transplantation the scaffold degraded almost completely and new cartilage could be observed. CollagenⅡ and cartilage matrix was positive in the new cartilage and the collagen I was positive in the surrounding fibroblast-like cells. In control transplants,8 week after transplantation some fibre-like tissue formed in the circumference, but there was no new cartilage formation and the collagen II and the cartilage matrix was negative.Conclusions:CS-PEC may be used as scaffold for fibre-cartilage regeneration.