Effects of Extracellular Matrix on the Morphology andBehaviour of Rabbit Auricular Chondrocytes in Culture

[摘要] Isolated chondrocytes dedifferentiate to a fibroblast-like shape on plastic substrata and proliferate extensively, but rarely form nodules. However, when dissociationis not complete and some cartilage remnants are included in theculture, proliferation decreases and cells grow in a reticularpattern with numerous nodules, which occasionally form smallcartilage-like fragments. In an attempt to reproduce this stablechondrogenic state, we added a cartilage protein extract, a sugarextract, and hyaluronan to the medium of previouslydedifferentiated chondrocytes. When protein extract was added,many cartilaginous nodules appeared. Hyaluronan produced changesin cell phenotype and behaviour, but not nodule formation. Proteinextract has positive effects on the differentiation of previouslyproliferated chondrocytes and permits nodule formation and theextensive production of type-II collagen. A comparison withincompletely dissociated chondrocyte cultures suggests that thepresence of some living cells anchored to their naturalextracellular matrix provides some important additional factorsfor the phenotypical stability of chondrocytes on plasticsurfaces. In order to elucidate if it is possible that theincidence of apoptosis is related to the results, we alsocharacterized the molecular traits of apoptosis.

[学科分类] 基础医学