Expressions of type I and type III collagens and tenascin-C in rat bone mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured with ligament fibroblasts / 生物医学工程学杂志

ABSTRACT

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can be directed to differentiate into a variety of cell types depending on their micro-environment. In this study, rat BMSCs were co-cultured with rat ligament fibroblasts during different time courses. The mRNA expressions of type I, type III collagens and tenascin-C were measured by real time RT-PCR, and the corresponding protein levels of type I and type III collagens by radioimmunoassay. Results show that the mRNA expressions of type I and type III collagens in the BMSCs were 2 times up-regulated after a 6-day co-culture, and the relative mRNA expressions of type I and type III collagens were 3.9 +/- 0.2 and 1.9 +/- 0.2, while they were 1.9 +/- 0.3 and 0.8 +/- 0.1 in the control groups, respectively. The protein syntheses of these two collagens were also increased after a 12-day co-culture; the type I and type III collagens synthesis were 13.6 +/- 1.3 ng/microg and 5.9 +/- 0.5 ng/microg in co-culture groups and 12.4 +/- 0.8 ng/microg and 5.0 +/- 0.4 ng/microg in their control groups, respectively. Likewise, there was a 2 times enhancement in tenascin-C mRNA expression after the 12-day co-culture (0.07 +/- 0.02 by control group and 0.14 +/- 0.02 by co-culture group, P < 0. 05). These data suggest that the presence of the ligament fibroblast promotes the syntheses of type I and the III collagens and tenascin-C in the rat BMSC.