[Preliminary observation of biological characters of chondrocytes in articular loose body].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the biological characters of chondrocytes in articular loose body and to find out seeding cells for cartilage tissue engineering.

METHODS

Samples from 5 loose body cartilages, 2 normal articular cartilages and 6 osteoarthritis articular cartilages were collected. Part of each sample's cartilage was histologically studied to observe the chondrocytes distribution the morphologic changes by toluidine-blue staining, chondrocytes' apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL). The rest of each cartilage was digested and isolated by 0.25% trypsin and 0. 2% collagenase II, and then were cultivated in 10%DMEM. Their morphologic changes were observed 24h later. Comparison was made between three cartilages.

RESULTS

Compared with normal cartilage and osteoarthritis articular cartilage, the cells density was higher, their lacunary were larger, cells distribution was irregular, and apoptosis was more apparent in loose body cartilage.

CONCLUSION

The characters of chondrocytes from loose body is more like fibroblasts so they can not serve as seeding cells directly for cartilage tissue engineering.