Proliferation and differentiation of periosteum cells induced by icariin / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Icariin has a broad prospect for promoting cell proliferation. Differentiation direction of periosteal cells is uncertain, but the cells are easy to be induced by ultrasound, oxygen or bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7). Periosteal cells have been applied in bone tissue engineering; however, icariin effects on the proliferation and differentiation of periosteal cells is little reported.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of icariin on the proliferation and differentiation of human periosteal cells, thus providing theoretical basis for icariin applied in bone tissue engineering. METHODS:The human periosteum was obtained and the primary cells were isolated in vitro.After culture and expansion,periosteal cells were cultured in 24-well plates, and induced by 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 mg/L icariin and 50 μg/L BMP7, respectively. The corresponding avsorbance values of different groups were detected. The levels of alkaline phosphatase and calcium nodules in periosteal cells were measured at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days, and the mRNA levels of osteocalcin, osteopontin and Runx2 were detected at 3, 5 and 7 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The periosteal cells proliferated well after induction with icariin, and could proliferate well in different concentrations of icariin and the positive control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the periosteal cells induced by icariin were able to produce more alkaline phosphatase and calcium nodules (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of osteocalcin, osteopontin and Runx2 in periosteal cells could be up-regulated by icariin (P < 0.05). These findings imply that icariin can promote proliferation and differentiate of periosteal cells into osteoblasts, and it can be used as an inducer for the preparation of seed cells in bone tissue engineering.