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EFFECTS OF BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR GENE TRANSFECTION ON BIOCHEMISTRY OF MENISCAL FIBROCHONDROCYTES

Objective To explore the effects of the basic fibroblast growth factor（bFGF） gene transfection on the meniscal fibrochondrocytes with the reconstructed lentivirus and to observe the response of the meniscal fibrochondrocytes to the bFGF gene transfection. Methods The cultured meniscal fibrochondrocytes were isolated from the same 3-monthold New Zealand rabbit. The cultured first-generation meniscal fibrochondrocytes were divided into 3 groups:Group A (experimental group), Group B (control group), and Group C (blank group). Each group comprised the cells in a 24hole flask in which each hole contained 2×104 cells. At the confluence of 60%, the fibrochondrocytes in Group A were cultured with the reconstructed lentivirus carrying the bFGF gene. The fibrochondrocytes in Group B were cultured with the lentivirus carrying no bFGF gene. The fibrochondrocytes in Group C were cultured without any intervention. After 48 h, the cell cycle, the collagen synthesis ability, the expression of bFGF, and the cell proliferation ability in each group were investigated. Results In Group A, the bFGF expression of 870±60 pg/ml was detected in the cells 48 h afterthe co-culture; however, in Group B and Group C, no expression of bFGF was found. After the co-culture for 6 days, the results of the MTT colorimetry revealed that the cells in Group A had an absorbtance of 0.427±0.037, which had a significant difference when compared with that in Group B and Group C (0.320±0.042,0.308±0.034,Plt;0.01). The cell cycle was significantly shorter in GroupA than in Group B and Group C (Plt;0.05); The durations of G1, S and G2M of the cells in Group A were 16.28, 12.60 and 11.04 h, but those in Group B and Group C were 23.61, 16.90, 21.33 h and 21.56, 19.80, 21.41 h, respectively. The disintegration per minute of the cells was significantly greater in Group A than in Group B and Group C (7281.69±805.50 vs 5916.40±698.11 and 5883.57±922.63，Plt;0.05). Conclusion The lentivirus vector can transfer the bFGF gene into the meniscal fibrochondrocytes, resulting in an increase of the cell proliferation and the collagen synthesis.