Effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in tendon healing using an alginate gel as the delivery system

This study investigated the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in healing patellar tendon through a delivery system of alginate gel. Male SD rats were divided into five groups. A gap wound sized 1x4mm was created in the mid patellar tendon. In the growth factor groups, a slab of alginate gel, loaded with either 0.4, 0.8 or 1.0 mu g of bFGF, was implanted into the wound at the time of injury. Alginate gel only was used in the vehicle control while no treatment was performed in the natural healing control. Tendons were harvested at 1 week post-injury. Three in each group were stained with proliferating cells and collagen type III. The rest were assessed for ultimate stress, total collagen and pyridinoline. One microgram of bFGF stimulated the expression of nuclear cyclin and collagen III, but induced a 36% decrease in pyridinoline and 59% in ultimate stress comparing with the control (p<0.05). The current study demonstrated that bFGF stimulated both cellular and extracellular changes. Besides, alginate was a valid model of delivering bioactive factors into the wound. However, it impaired the tensile properties that may be associated to a decrease in pyridinoline crosslink and an increase in immature type III collagen.