Chondrogenic potential of in vitro multiplied rabbit perichondrium cells cultured in alginate beads in defined medium

Perichondrium has a chondrogenic capacity and is therefore a candidate tissue for engineering of cartilage in vitro. Donor age and culture conditions probably influence chondrogenesis. The aim of this study was to compare the chondrogenic capacity of ear and nasal perichondrium from young and adult rabbits, using serum containing and serum-free culture conditions. This study demonstrates that more than 1 million cells can be generated out of 1 cm(2) of perichondrium tissue in 3-5 weeks of culture, irrespective of age. Culturing of these cells in alginate in medium with 2, 10, or 20% fetal calf serum did result in the production of small amounts of glycosaminoglycan, but no collagen type II was demonstrated. When serum was replaced however by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (10 ng/mL) plus transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2) (10 ng/mL) an increased glycosaminoglycan production and induction of collagen type II was found, especially in cells isolated from perichondrium of the ear. Cells derived from perichondrium of young rabbits showed larger chondrogenic potential than cells from perichondrium of adult rabbits. Moreover, stimulation of both glycosaminoglycan synthesis and collagen type II production was about five times higher in cells isolated from the ear perichondrium of young rabbits than of adult rabbits. We conclude that young auricular perichondrium seems a useful source of cells for tissue engineering of cartilage when cultured in serum-free medium in combination with IG-F1 and TGF-beta 2.