Chondrogenic progenitor cells isolated from the fascia of skeletal muscle / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Muscle derived cells in the skeletal muscle have the ability to differentiate into chondrocytes under the induction of bone morphogenic protein 4 and transforming growth factor β3. However, due to the complexity of the skeletal muscle (consisting of muscle fiber, fascia, blood vessel and nerves), the origin of cells has not been identified. OBJECTIVE: To observe the potential for chondrogenic differentiation of fascia-derived cells (FDCs) in order to clarify the chondrogenic ability of the cells derived from the skeletal muscle. METHODS: The fascia was isolated from the rat gluteus maximus, and was then cultured in chondrogenic medium containing bone morphogenic protein 4 and transforming growth factor β3. Samples were harvested on day 14. The chondrogenic differentiation of FDCs was identified by alcian blue, hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O stainings. Cell markers were investigated by immunostaining using the antibodies for desmin, CD34, vimentin, vWF and a-SMA. Immunostaining was used to assay the chondrogenic potential of FDCs cultured with L6 rat myoblasts at varying ratios (10, 41; 11, 14 and 01). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: FDCs harvested from the skeletal muscle displayed chondrogenic differentiation and formed cartilaginous tissue when cultured for 14 days in chondrogenic medium after alcian blue and safranin O stainings. Cells isolated from the fascia were negative for desmin, CD34, vWF and a-SMA, but over 90% of the cells were positive for vimentin. Mixed FDC and L6 myoblast pellets showed chondrogenic potential decreased with the increasing ratio of L6 myoblasts. From the analysis of cell surface marker of FDCs in the skeletal muscle, immunostaining, and the comparison with L6 rat myoblasts, it shows that FDCs are the seed cells with chondrogenic potential in the skeletal muscle.