[Effects of porcine acellular cartilaginous matrix on the proliferation and differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal cells].

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of porcine acellular cartilaginous matrix (pACM) on the proliferation and differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal cells (hADSCs).

METHODS

pACM was prepared from porcine articular cartilage through decellularization treatment. hADSCs were isolated from human adipose tissues and cultured with different pACM concentrations. No pACM was used as the control group. The effect of pACM on hADSCs proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method. Moreover, the effect of pACM on hADSCs chondrogenic differentiation was analyzed through fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.

RESULTS

hADSCs proliferation rate in 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg·mL⁻¹ pACM groups was not significantly different from that in the control group, whereas that in 4.0 and 8.0 mg·mL⁻¹ pACM group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The expression levels of pACM chondrogenic genes, including SOX-9, collagen type Ⅱ alpha 1 chain (COL2A1), and aggrecan (ACAN) and cell adhesion-related gene LAMININ in 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg·mL⁻¹ pACM group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05), but that of a stemness-related gene Notch-1 was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). No statistical difference was found in the expression of a lipogenesis-related gene peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAr-γ) (P>0.05). The expression levels of chondrogenic proteins (SOX-9, COL2A1, and ACAN) were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Appropriate pACM con-centrations do not affect hADSCs proliferation but can induce hADSCs chondrogenic differentiation.