Comparing the chondrogenic potential of rabbit mesenchymal stem cells derived from the infrapatellar fat pad, periosteum & bone marrow

Background & objectives: Rabbit model is commonly used to demonstrate the proof of concept in cartilage tissue engineering. However, limited studies have attempted to find an ideal source of rabbit mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for cartilage repair. This study aimed to compare the in vitro chondrogenic potential of rabbit MSCs isolated from three sources namely infrapatellar fat pad (IFP), periosteum (P) and bone marrow (BM). Methods: Rabbit MSCs from three sources were isolated and characterized using flow cytometry and multi-lineage differentiation assay. Cell proliferation was assessed using trypan blue dye exclusion test; in vitro chondrogenic potential was evaluated by histology and gene expression and the outcomes were compared amongst the three MSC sources. Results: MSCs from three sources shared similar morphology and expressed > 99 per cent positive for CD44 and CD81 and < 3 per cent positive for negative markers CD34, CD90 and human leukocyte antigen - DR isotype (HLA-DR). The BM-MSCs and IFP-MSCs showed significantly higher cell proliferation (P < 0.001) than the P-MSCs from passage 4. Histologically, BM-MSCs formed a thicker cartilage pellet (P < 0.01) with abundant matrix deposition than IFP and P-MSCs during chondrogenic differentiation. The collagen type 2 staining was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in BM-MSCs than the other two sources. These outcomes were further confirmed by gene expression, where the BM-MSCs demonstrated significantly higher expression (P < 0.01) of cartilage-specific markers (COL2A1, SOX9 and ACAN) with less hypertrophy. Interpretation & conclusions: This study demonstrated that BM-MSCs had superior chondrogenic potential and generated better cartilage than IFP and P-MSCs in rabbits. Thus, BM-MSCs remain a promising candidate for rabbit articular cartilage regeneration.