| خلاصه مقاله | Introduction :Cartilage degeneration is a major contributing factor to joint disabilities, particularly in the knee joint, affecting up to 80 percent of individuals in developed countries who suffer from degenerative joint disease. Current treatments for osteoarthritis and articular cartilage lesions have limited success and cannot fully restore the damaged cartilage. Research has indicated that stem cells derived from infrapatellar adipose tissue have the ability to maintain their division capacity for up to 100 passages and delay the onset of senescence. These cells have also demonstrated a uniform cell population in a cultured environment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the regenerative effects of stem cells derived from infrapatellar adipose tissue on articular cartilage.
Methods:All animals received proper and compassionate care in accordance with the guidelines set by the National Institutes of Health for animal welfare. The housing conditions and experiments conducted were approved by the ethical committee (IR.MARAGHEHPHC.REC.1397.010) of Maragheh University of Medical Sciences. Stem cells were isolated from infrapatellar fat pads and cultured in T-25 culture flasks. Once the cells reached 80-90% confluency, they were counted using an inverted microscope. The cells were then expanded to passage six, and stem cells from different passages were transplanted into defects present in the articular cartilage. Each sheep knee had two defects, with two of these defects receiving the stem cells. The first group received stem cells in the initial passage, while the second group received stem cells in the final passage. The samples were analyzed using Immunofluorescence staining, Toluidine blue staining, and Real-time RT-PCR.
Result:QRT-PCR analysis demonstrated the expression of coll2, sox9, and aggrecan in all groups. However, the group transplanted in the initial passage exhibited a higher percentage of collagen expression compared to the stem cells in the higher passage. Stem cells in the initial passage displayed fibroblast-like characteristics, with a spindle-shaped morphology and faster confluence attainment. In contrast, stem cells in the higher passage took longer to reach confluence and had wider cells . Toluidine blue staining confirmed the formation of cartilage tissue in all groups, and gross photography revealed that defects in group 1 were almost completely filled with cartilage-like tissue, whereas group 2 exhibited a thin layer of cartilage-like tissue formation in the defects .
Conclusion:Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the lesions treated with stem cells in the initial passage showed superior repair compared to the lesions treated with stem cells in the higher passage. This indicates that stem cells derived from primary passages exhibit enhanced differentiation potential for the regeneration of articular cartilage and the treatment of Osteoarthritis. |