[Local injection of angiopoietin 2 promotes angiogenesis in tissue engineered bone and repair of bone defect with autophagy induction in vivo]

[Application status of hypoxia mimetic agents in bone tissue engineering]

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the application status of hypoxia mimetic agents in bone tissue engineering.

METHODS

The related literature about the hypoxia mimetic agents in bone tissue engineering was reviewed and analyzed. And the application status and progress of hypoxia mimetic agents in bone tissue engineering were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Hypoxia mimetic agents have the same effect as hypoxia in up-regulating the level of hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). The combination of hypoxia mimetic agents and scaffolds can up-regulate the level of HIF-1α in bone tissue engineering, thus promoting early vascularization and bone regeneration of the bone defect area, which provides a new idea for using bone tissue engineering to repair bone defect. At present, the commonly used hypoxia mimetic agents include iron chelating agents, oxoglutarate competitive analogues, proline hydroxylase inhibitors, etc.

CONCLUSION

Hypoxia mimetic agents have a wide application prospect in bone tissue engineering, but they have been used in bone tissue engineering for a short time, more attention should be paid to their possible side effects. In the future research, the hypoxia mimetic agents should be developed in the direction of higher targeting specificity and safety, and the exact mechanism of hypoxia mimetic agents in promoting bone regeneration should be further explored.

[Construction and preliminary study on biological characteristics of composite cell sheets of mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells derived from peripheral blood]

Objective

To separate peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells (PBMSC) and peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells (PBEPC) from peripheral blood, and investigate the biological characteristics of composite cell sheets of PBMSC and PBEPC.

Methods

The peripheral blood of healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits was extracted and PBMSC and PBEPC were separated by density gradient centrifugation. Morphological observation and identification of PBMSC and PBEPC were performed. The 3rd generation of PBMSC and PBEPC were used to construct a composite cell sheet at a ratio of 1∶1, and the 3rd generation of PBMSC was used to construct a single cell sheet as control. The distributions of cells in two kinds of cell sheets were observed by HE staining. In addition, the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the supernatants of cell sheets were observed by ELISA at 1, 5, and 10 days after osteogenic induction.

Results

The morphology of PBMSC was spindle-shaped or polygonal, and PBMSC had good abilities of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. The morphology of PBEPC was paved stone-like, and the tube-forming test of PBEPC was positive. Two kinds of cell sheets were white translucent. The results of HE staining showed that the composite cell sheet had more cell layers and higher cell density than the single cell sheet. The expressions of ALP, OCN, and VEGF in the supernatant of the two groups of cell sheets increased with the time of induction. The expression of OCN in the group of composite cell sheet was significantly higher than that in the group of single cell sheet on the 5th and 10th day, ALP on the 10th day was significantly higher than that in the group of single cell sheet, VEGF expression on the 1st, 5th, and 10th day was significantly higher than that in the group of single cell sheet, all showing significant differences ( P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups at other time points ( P>0.05).

Conclusion

PBMSC have stable differentiation ability, and they have good application prospects because of their minimally invasive access. Composite cell membranes constructed by co-culture of two kinds of cells and induction of membrane formation provides a new idea and exploration for tissue defect repair.

[Study on the bone regeneration induced by advanced-platelet-rich fibrin and β- tricalcium phosphate composite]

Objective

To explore the osteogenesis effect of advanced-platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) composite.

Methods

Thirty-two healthy female New Zealand rabbits were randomly selected. A-PRF was prepared by collecting blood from middle auricular artery. Rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups: groups A, B, C, D, and E (6 rabbits in each group) and group F (2 rabbits). Bone defects (6 mm in diameter, 8 mm in depth) were drilled into femur condyle of each rabbit's both back legs. Then A-PRF and β-TCP composites manufactured by different proportion were planted into bone defects of group A (1∶1), group B (2∶1), group C (4∶1), group D (1∶2) and group E (1∶4) ( V/ V). The bone defect was not repaired in group F. The specimens were collected at 8 and at 12 weeks after operation. Then gross observation, X-ray examination, Micro-CT examination, and biomechanical test were performed. The bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp), compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity were calculated.

Results

The gross observation and X-ray examination showed that the osteogenesis effect at 12 weeks was better than that at 8 weeks. At the same time point, the repair of bone defect and the formation of new bone in group B were better than those in other groups. Micro-CT examination showed that the trabeculae of new bone in group B were the most and the trabeculae arranged closely at 8 and 12 weeks. Besides there were significant differences in BV/TV, Tb.N, and Tb.Sp between group B and the other groups ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in Tb.N and Tb.Th in group B, BV/TV and Tb.Sp in group C, Tb.Sp in group D between 8 weeks and 12 weeks ( P<0.05). Biomechanical tests showed that the compression strength and elastic modulus of group B were the highest, and the compression strength and elastic modulus of group C were the lowest at 8 and at 12 weeks, showing significant differences ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in compression strength and elastic modulus of each group between 8 weeks and 12 weeks ( P<0.05).

Conclusion

The A-PRF and β-TCP composite can repair femoral condylar defects in rabbits, and the osteogenesis is better in proportion of 2∶1.