2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (22): 3455-3459

Tissue engineered cartilage constructed by polyurethane composite chondrocytes

Han Zhi1, Wang Zhimiao2, Gaxi Sijia2, Lu Qingling1, Guo Tao3   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Polyurethane material, as an excellent non-degradable polymer compound, has good stability and excellent mechanical properties, but the biocompatibility of chondrocytes as a tissue engineering material has not been reported.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the biocompatibility of compound culture of rabbit knee cartilage with polyurethane.
METHODS: Rabbit knee chondrocytes were extracted by enzyme digestion method, and were cultured with polyurethane composite material when expanded to the third generation in vitro. The proliferation activity of the composite and simple cultured cells was detected by MTT assay. After 2 and 4 weeks of compound culture, inverted microscope, hematoxylin-eosin staining and scanning electron microscope were utilized to observe the chondrocyte growth. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to observe expression of type II collagen.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) MTT assay showed that the proliferation activity of cells cultured for 6, 8 and 10 days was higher than that of cells cultured only (P < 0.05). (2) The inverted microscope showed that after 2 weeks, the cells were almost all over the surface of the material, and some of the cells melted into the material. After 4 weeks, the surface of the material was covered with cells, and clusters of cells filled the pores of the material. (3) Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that chondrocytes grew stably and adhered to the wall inside the polyurethane. Scanning electron microscopy showed that chondrocytes clustered inside the polyurethane material. (4) Immunohistochemical staining showed that chondrocyte in the scaffold presented the expression of type II   collagen. (5) It is concluded that polyurethane biological scaffolds have good biocompatibility with chondrocytes and are expected to be ideal tissue-engineered cartilage materials.
Key words: polyurethane, chondrocytes, scaffold, composite materials, biocompatibility, type II collagen