Abstract
We tried to establish the culture method of the chondrocyte isolated from the epiphyseal cartilage and to investigate morphological changes of chondrocyte cultured with enzyme-digested costal cartilage, the perichondrium and experimentally damaged meniscus of rabbit. De novo chondrocyte pellets were prepared from epiphyseal plates by culturing isolated epiphyseal chondrocytes from 4 week. old rabbits. We morphologically assessed the cartilage formation of the chondrocyte culture with enzyme-digested costal carilage, the perichondrial culture, the cultured chondrocytes transplants into experimentally damaged meniscus of rabbits, the perichondrial culture, the cultured chondrocytes transplants into experimentally damaged meniscus of rabbit. In the 24 days, the epiphyseal chondrocytes maintained the typical phenotypes of the partial nodular cell formation. The 30 days cryopreserved chondrocytes showed abnormal and irregular shape. In the type II collagen added culture, the chondrocytes showed expanded rough endoplasmic reticulum and small and large round-like vesicles of processes. In the type IV collagen added culture, the chondrocytes showed large perinuclear vaculoes and abundant well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum of processes. In the culture with enzyme- digested costal cartilage and the perichondrial culture, the chondrocytes showed a few swelling rough endoplasmic reticulum and vacuoles. The cultured epiphyseal chondrocytes maintained typical phenotype and the chondrocytes were grown faster and maintained more typical phenotype in the type II and IV collagen added culture. The transformed chondrocytes secreted abundant extracellular matrix in the type II collagen added culture, and showed processes in the type IV collagen added culture. The perichondrial chondrocytes were grown faster and their implants were able to transplant. The cultured chondrocytes transplanted into experimentally damaged meniscus were adapted between the meniscus tissues. And the immunocyto-chemical reaction of the type II collagen of the chondrocytes were found to be maintained. The chondrocytes cultured cartilage. The chondrocytes secreted abundantly. The cultured chondrocytes transplanted into experimentally damaged meniscus changed immature cells into enlarged mature cells with extracellular secretion.
