Dermatan sulphate in methoxy polyethylene glycol-polylactide-co-glycolic acid scaffolds upregulates fibronectin gene expression but has no effect on in vivo osteochondral repair

• Published in: International orthopaedics 2012-07, Vol.36 (7), p.1507-1513
• Main Authors: Foldager, Casper Bindzus, Bünger, Cody, Nielsen, Anna Bay, Ulrich-Vinther, Michael, Munir, Samir, Everland, Hanne, Lind, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bone Regeneration - drug effects; Bone Regeneration - physiology; Cartilage, Articular - drug effects; Chondrocytes - drug effects; Chondrogenesis - drug effects; Chondrogenesis - physiology; Dermatan Sulfate - analysis; Dermatan Sulfate - pharmacology; Femur - drug effects; Femur - pathology; Femur - physiology; Fibronectins - genetics; Fibronectins - metabolism; Gene Expression - drug effects; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Orthopedics; Polyesters - chemistry; Polyesters - metabolism; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Polyethylene Glycols - metabolism; Rabbits; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds; Up-Regulation - drug effects
• ISSN: 0341-2695; 1432-5195
• DOI: 10.1007/s00264-011-1479-0

Purpose The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of dermatan sulphate (DS) addition to biodegradable methoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG) substituted polylactide-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) scaffolds for cartilage repair in vitro and in vivo. Methods Human chondrocytes from eight patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were isolated and cultured in 5% oxygen on MPEG-PLGA scaffolds ± DS for one, three, seven and 14 days. Analyses were performed using quantitative gene expression analysis for chondrogenic and cell attachment markers. An osteochondral drill hole defect was created in the intertrochlear groove of the distal femur in 20 New Zealand white rabbits (defects n  = 20). When bleeding was observed, the defects were treated with MPEG-PLGA scaffolds ± DS. Twelve weeks after surgery the rabbits were sacrificed and the defects were analysed using histological grading with O’Driscoll scoring. Results DS addition to MPEG-PLGA scaffolds resulted in a significant upregulation of fibronectin gene expression on day 1. No differences were observed in chondrogenic gene expression. There were no differences between the two groups in histological grading (+DS 10.3 and −DS 9.6). Conclusions Upregulation of fibronectin in vitro indicating early cell-scaffold interaction and attachment did not result in improved cartilage repair in an osteochondral defect model in rabbits.