Abstract
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease and a significant cause of joint pain, tenderness, and limitation of motion. At present, no specific treatment is available, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promising potentials in this regard. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the repairing potentials of stem cells derived from the synovium and fat pad in the treatment of OA. Methods Twenty-eight male rats (220 ± 20 g, aged 10-12 weeks), were randomly divided into four groups (n = 7): C1: nontreated group, C2: Hyalgan-treated group, E1: adipose tissue-derived stem cell-treated group, and E2: synovial membrane-based stem cell-treated group. Collagenase type II was injected into the left knee; after eight weeks, OA was developed. Then, stem cells were injected, and rats were followed for three months. Afterward, specimens and radiological images were investigated. p value ≤ 0.05 was set as statistically significant. Results Compared to the C1 group, the E1 and E2 groups showed significantly better results in all six pathological criteria as well as joint space width and osteophytes of medial tibial, medial femoral, and medial fabellar condyles (p ≤ 0.001). Similarly, compared to the C2 group, the E1 and E2 groups had better scores regarding surface, matrix, cell distribution, and cell population viability (p < 0.05). E2 showed considerably higher scores compared to C2 regarding subchondral bone and cartilage mineralization (p < 0.05). The joint space width was similar between the C2 and E groups. Conclusion Treatment of OA with MSCs, particularly synovial membrane-derived stem cells, not only prevented but also healed OA of the knee to some extent in comparison to the Hyalgan and nontreatment groups.
Highlights
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disorder and one of the leading causes of pain and disability, in the elderly [1]
We aimed to determine and compare the efficacy of treatment of OA using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from two different origins, synovial layer, and adipose tissue isolated from the inguinal fat pad, in rats based on pathological and radiological criteria
Pathologic evaluations showed that both stem cell-treated groups, E1 and E2, had significantly higher scores concerning cartilaginous surface, matrix, cell distribution, viability, subchondral bone, and cartilage mineralization, in comparison with the C1 group (p < 0:001, Figure 1)
Summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disorder and one of the leading causes of pain and disability, in the elderly [1]. Inadequate mobility may limit sufficient nourishment of the joint through synovial fluid and may lead to cell death [5, 6]. Mediators, such as catabolic cytokines and nitric oxide (NO), interleukin 1 (IL1), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), modulate the production of destructive enzymes as well as the synthesis of collagen bundles and proteoglycans; these play important roles in the destruction of cartilage structures [5, 6]. Treatment of OA with MSCs, synovial membrane-derived stem cells, prevented and healed OA of the knee to some extent in comparison to the Hyalgan and nontreatment groups
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