Effects of dynamic radial tensile stress on fibrocartilage differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Xuelian Su,Guangjie Bao,Lin Liu,Hong Kang,Jizeng Wang

doi:10.1186/s12938-020-0751-1

Abstract

BackgroundUniaxial/biaxial tensile stress has been employed to induce chondrocyte differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. However, the effects of radial tensile stimuli on differentiation of MSCs into fibrocartilage remain unclear.ResultsIt was found that induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were not only similar to TMJ disc cells in morphology, but also could synthesize type I collagen (Col I), a small amount of type II collagen (Col II) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The synthesis of Col I significantly increased while that of Col II gradually decreased with increasing tensile strength. The ratio of Col I to Col II was 1.8 to 1 and 2 to 1 in the 10% and 15% stretching groups, respectively. The gene expression of Col I and GAGs was significantly upregulated, whereas that of Col II was downregulated. However, the higher tensile stimulation (15%) promoted the synthesis of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Too much α-SMA is not conducive to constructing engineered tissue.ConclusionTherefore, the 10% radial tensile stimulus was the optimal strength for inducing the BMSCs to differentiate into fibrochondrocytes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc. This work provided a novel approach for inducing BMSCs to differentiate into fibrochondrocytes.

Highlights

Uniaxial/biaxial tensile stress has been employed to induce chondrocyte differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Animal studies found that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) implanted into the injured area of a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc promoted wound healing [15, 16]. These findings suggest that BMSCs have fibrochondrocyte differentiation potential and are capable of being an alternative cell source for fibrocartilage tissue engineering
The findings suggested that the cells isolated and cultured were BMSCs and were pure enough to meet the experimental requirements

Summary

Introduction

Uniaxial/biaxial tensile stress has been employed to induce chondrocyte differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc is a dense fibrocartilaginous tissue between the mandibular condyle and the temporal fossa that plays an important role during jaw movement. The central portion of the disc is avascular, has few cells, and is the site of frequent perforation [1]. The heterogeneous TMJ disc lacks a regenerative capacity to repair itself. Tissue engineering is a promising strategy for repairing or replacing injured TMJ discs [2]. There are many challenges in developing an engineered TMJ disc that has the same structure, composition and mechanical. The biggest difficulty is the lack of suitable cells that can synthesize and secrete an extracellular matrix similar to that of natural tissue

Methods

Results

Conclusion