Objective To explore heterotopic chondrogenesis of canine myoblasts induced by cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein 2 (CDMP-2) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) which were seeded on poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds after implantation in a subcutaneous pocket of nude mice. Methods Myoblasts from rectus femoris of 1-year-old Beagle were seeded on PLGA scaffolds and cultured in medium containing CDMP-2 and TGF-β1 for 2 weeks in vitro. Then induced myoblasts-PLGA scaffold, uninduced myoblasts-PLGA scaffold, CDMP-2 and TGF-β1-PLGA scaffold, and simple PLGA scaffold were implanted into 4 zygomorphic back subcutaneous pockets of 24 nude mice in groups A, B, C, and D, respectively. At 8 and 12 weeks, the samples were harvested for general observation, HE staining and toluidine blue staining, immunohistochemical staining for collagen type I and collagen type II; the mRNA expressions of collagen type I, collagen type II, Aggrecan, and Sox9 were determined by RT-PCR, the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) content by Alician blue staining, and the compressive elastic modulus by biomechanics. Results In group A, cartilaginoid tissue was milky white with smooth surface and slight elasticity at 8 weeks, and had similar appearance and elasticity to normal cartilage tissue at 12 weeks. In group B, few residual tissue remained at 8 weeks, and was completely degraded at 12 weeks. In groups C and D, the implants disappeared at 8 weeks. HE staining showed that mature cartilage lacuna formed of group A at 8 and 12 weeks; no cartilage lacuna formed in group B at 8 weeks. Toluidine blue staining confirmed that new cartilage cells were oval and arranged in line, with lacuna and blue-staining positive cytoplasm and extracellular matrix in group A at 8 and 12 weeks; no blue metachromatic extracellular matrix was seen in group B at 8 weeks. Collagen type I and collagen type II expressed positively in group A, did not expressed in group B by immunohistochemical staining. At 8 weeks, the mRNA expressions of collagen type I, collagen type II, Aggrecan, and Sox9 were detected by RT-PCR in group A at 8 and 12 weeks, but negative results were shown in group B. The compressive elastic modulus and GAG content of group A were (90.79 ± 1.78) MPa and (10.20 ± 1.07) μg/mL respectively at 12 weeks, showing significant differences when compared with normal meniscus (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion Induced myoblasts-PLGA scaffolds can stably express chondrogenic phenotype in a heterotopic model of cartilage transplantation and represent a suitable tool for tissue engineering of menisci.
Objective To explore the effects of mechanical stimulation on the expression of autoantigens in myoblasts. Methods According to different processing methods, C2C12 cells were divided into the experimental group and control group; the experimental group was divided into 4 subgroups: 2-, 4-, and 6-day and 1-day stretch groups. In 2-, 4-, and 6-day stretch groups, mechanical loading was added on the C2C12 cells at a stretching frequency of 0.25 Hz and cellular deformation amplitude of 10%, 2 hours a day for 2, 4, and 6 days respectively by Flexercell 5000 strain unit, and at a stretching frequency of 1 Hz and cellular deformation amplitude of 15% for 1 hour in 1-day stretch group. In the control group, the cells were routinely cultured for 1, 2, 4, and 6 days (1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-day control). The cells were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope. The cell proliferation was detected by flow cytometry; the expressions of autoantigens were detected by Western blot method, including the Ku/the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), U1-70 (A part of ATP-dependent DNA helicase II), histidyl tRNA synthetase (HRS), and Mi-2 (reconfigurable components deacetylase complexes of NuRD). Results The exfoliated cells were found in 1-day stretch group, but no exfoliated cell was seen in the control group for 1-day culture. The cells proliferated more obviously in 2-day stretch group than in the control group for 2-day culture; cell differentiation was found in 4-day stretch group, and cell fusion in 6-day stretch group, which were similar to those in the control group for 4- and 6-day culture. After single stretching, cell apoptosis was found in 1-day stretch group, showing no significant difference in the relative DNA proliferation index (DPI) when compared with DPI of control group for 1-day culture (t=0.346, P=0.747). After cyclic stretching, DPIs of 2- and 4- day stretch groups were significantly increased when compared with those of the control group for 2- and 4-day culture (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference was found between control group for 6-day culture and 6-day stretch group (t=1.191, P=0.303). Compared with the control group for 2-day culture, the relative protein expression of autoantigens (DNA-Pkcs, Mi-2, HRS, and U1-70) in 2-day stretch group decreased significantly (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference was found between control group for 4-day culture and 4-day stretch group (P gt; 0.05). The relative protein expressions of autoantigens in 4-day stretch group significantly increased when compared with those of 2-day stretch group (P lt; 0.05), but the relative protein expressions of autoantigens in the control group for 4-day culture significantly decreased when compared with those of the control group for 2-day culture (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion Short-term mechanical stimulation can inhibit the expressions of autoantigens in myoblasts, but with the time prolonging, cell differentiation and fusion and adaptation to mechanical stimulation would result in diminished inhibitory effect.
Objective To explore the human stromal cell-derived factor 1α (hSDF-1α) and human vascular endothel ial growth factor 165 (hVEGF165) mRNA expressions of the transfected cells after hSDF-1α gene and hVEGF165 gene were transfected into rat myoblasts in vitro so as to lay a foundation for further study on the synergistic effects of 2 genes on tissue engineered skeletal muscle vascularization. Methods The myoblasts of 1-day-old Sprague Dawley rats were cultured and purified by trypsin digestion assay in vitro and were identified by immunohistochemistry staining of Desmin. pproximately 70%-80% of confluent myoblasts were transfected with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-hSDF-1α and EGFP-hVEGF165 genes in vitro (transfected group) and were not transfected (control group). The expressions of hSDF-1αand hVEGF165 mRNA and protein in the transfected cells were detected by RT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot espectively.Results The cultured cells were identified as myoblasts by immunohistochemistry staining of Desmin. The expression ofgreen fluorescent protein was observed in transfected cells, indicating that hSDF-1α and hVEGF165 genes were transfected into myoblasts successfully. The mRNA and protein expressions of the 2 genes were positive in the transfected group by RT-PCR and Western bolt assay at 2, 4, 6, and 8 days after transfection, and were negative in the control group. The expressions of hSDF- 1α and hVEGF165 showed a stable low level in the control group, but the expressions of the proteins increased at 2 days and then showed gradual downtrend with time in the transfected group by ELISA assay. There were significant differences in the expressions of hSDF-1α and hVEGF165 proteins between different time points in the transfected group, and between 2 groups (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion hSDF-1α and hVEGF165 genes are successfully transfected into myoblasts in vitro, and mRNA and proteins of hSDF-1α and hVEGF165 can be expressed in the transfected myoblasts, which may provide the experimental evidence for the expressions of hSDF-1α and hVEGF165 mRNA and proteins in vivo successfully.
Objective To investigate the effects of sodium hyaluronate solution on the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts. Methods The 3rd subculture myoblasts from muscle of infant SD rat were cultured in four growth media, in which the concentrations of sodium hyaluronate were 0.05% (group A) , 0.1%( group B), 0.2% (group C)and 0 (group D, control group), respectively. The proliferation rate of myoblasts in each medium was observed through growth curves by means of count and MTT. At the same time, the subculture myoblasts were cultured in differentiated media in which the concentrations of sodium hyaluronate were 0 and 0.1%. The capacity of fusion of myoblasts was compared between two kinds of differentiated media. Results There were the nearly same proliferation curse in Groups A, B and C: increasing by logarithm at 2 days and reaching peak value at 4 days. The myoblasts in Group D increased slowly: increasing by logarithm at 3 days, doubling at 5 days and reaching peak value at 6 days. MTT has the similar curse to counting. The myoblast proliferation of Group B was more than that of the other groups. The peak value of myoblast fusion was 35% at 6 days in common differentiated media; slowly reached 11.7% at 7 days in the differentiated media in which the concentrations of sodiumhyaluronate was 0.1%.Conclusion Sodium hyaluronate at certain concentration can be a decent media for myoblasts, it can accelerate proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biological characteristics of continuously subcultured human embryonic skeletal myoblasts, and choose the optimal seeding cells for muscle tissue engineering. METHODS: Human embryonic skeletal myoblasts were subcultured in vitro. The growth curve, rate of myotube formation(RMF) were used to evaluate the proliferative and differentiation ability of myoblasts, and to investigate the influence of fibroblasts contamination on myoblasts. RESULTS: The beginning 6 passages of myoblasts showed b proliferative and differentiation ability. From the 8th to 20th passage, the rate of fibroblasts contamination was increased, it mainly showed the growth characteristics of fibroblasts with increased proliferation and low differentiation. After subcultured to the 20th passage, the degeneration of myoblasts was obvious. CONCLUSION: The myoblasts within 6 passages should be used as the seeding cells of muscle tissue engineering because of b proliferative ability and high rate of myotube formation.