3-DIMENSIONAL CULTURE OF CANINE ARTICULAR CHONDROCYTES ON MULTIPLE TRANSPLANTABLE SUBSTRATES

Objective-To determine the effects of transplantable substrates on can ine chondrocytes grown in three-dimensional culture. Animals-3 canine cadavers. Procedure-Articular cartilage harvested from canine cadavers was used to obtain chondrocytes for primary culture. Subcultured chon drocytes were grown in agarose alone (AG), or in agarose on canine can cellous bone (CB), polypropylene mesh, or oxidized regenerated cellulo se substrate. Cell proliferation, proteoglycan and glycosaminoglycan ( GAG) production, and collagen production were assessed on days 3, 6, 1 0, 15 and 20. Results-Chondrocytes from groups AG and CB proliferated and produced matrix over the entire 20-day study period. Group-CB chon drocytes had significantly more GAG than did chondrocytes of all other groups on days 6 (P = 0.0297) and 15 (P = 0.00272). Those of groups A G and CB contained significantly (P = 0.0235) more GAG on day 20. Chon drocytes of the polypropylene mesh group proliferated and produced mat rix through day 10 in culture, but were no longer viable and had no ma trix production on days 15 and 20. Regenerated cellulose appeared to b e toxic to canine chondrocytes during all stages of in vitro three-dim ensional culture. Conclusions-Three-dimensional culture of canine chon drocytes in agarose appears to produce favorable results with respect to chondrocyte proliferation and matrix production. Canine CB appears to have beneficial effects with regard to early GAG synthesis. Polypro pylene mesh and oxidized regenerated cellulose had detrimental effects on cellular proliferation and matrix production.