Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation combined with lithium chloride treatment for avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rabbits / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Lithium chloridecan promote the proliferation and osteogenic capacity of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels in the necrotic region after avascular necrosis of the femoral head, which has become an issue of concern. OBJECTIVE:To compare the advantages and disadvantages of bone marrow stem cel transplantation combined with lithium chloride in the treatment of rabbit femoral head necrosis. METHODS: Passage 2 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels from 1-week-old New Zealand rabbits were cultured in 0, 5, 10, 20, 40 mmol/L lithium chloride. Forty-eight healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were selected to make femoral head necrosis models in the right femoral head using liquid nitrogen freezing method and then randomized into four groups: model group with no implantation; lithium chloride group given lithium chloride treatment at 3 days after modeling; cel transplantation group given gelatin sponge implantation and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel suspension injection into the femoral head after modeling; combined group given bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel suspension injection and lithium chloride treatment. Intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride (45.2 mg/kg) was given daily beginning at the postoperative 3rdday, and the treatment duration was 4 weeks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Lithium chloride at 10 mmol/L had the maximum effect on the proliferation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels, and if the concentration of lithium chloride was > 10 mmol/L, the promotion role of lithium chloride began to decline. After combined treatment, the morphology of the femoral head was restored a little, with increased bone density and thickened trabecular bone; the level of β-catenin in the femoral head was significantly increased in the combined group compared with the cel transplantation group or the lithium chloride group. These findings show that bone marrow stem cel transplantation combined with lithium chloride treatment can promote the recovery from femoral head necrosis by increasing bone mass of the trabecular bone and bone density of the femoral head in the necrotic region.