Treatment of rabbit femoral head necrosis with polylactic acid/hydroxyapatite porous scaffold combined with rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transfected by vascular endothelial growth factor

Abstract

Objective To observe the curative effectiveness of implanting the polylactic acid/hydroxyapatite (PLA/HA) porous scaffold combined with rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transfected by plasmid pcDNA3.1-VEGF165 into the rabbit femoral head necrosis model.Methods The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was detected by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after rabbit BMSCs were transfected with pcDNA3.1-VEGF165 plasmid.Four groups were created:pcDNA3.1-VEGF165 plasmid transfection with scaffold group,blank vector transfection with scaffold group,simple scaffold group,and untreated group.Porous scaffolds were implanted into the femoral head.Micro-CT and histological evaluations were performed to observe the rabbit femoral head 8 and 12 weeks after operation.X-ray photography was performed after 12 weeks.Results VEGF expression level was significantly higher in pcDNA3.1-VEGF165 transfection group than other groups.Micro-CT and X-ray showed new bone formation and small blood vessels around the necrotic trabeculae.Femoral head deformation,thin subchondral bone,trabecular bone fracture and non-uniform bone mineral density were shown in other groups.Conclusion Plasmid pcDNA3.1-VEGF165 transfection of rabbit BMSCs with the PLA/HA porous scaffold could induce the formation of blood vessels and bone in rabbit femoral head. Key words: Femoral head necrosis; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Gene transfection; Mesenchymal stem cell