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Indirect co-culture with tenocytes promotes proliferation and mRNA expression of tendon/ligament related genes in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

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Abstract

Recent evidences have suggested that humoral factors released from the appropriate co-cultured cells influenced the expansion and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, little is known about the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs subjected to co-culture condition with tenocytes. In this study, we aimed to establish a co-culture system of MSCs and tenocytes and investigate the proliferation and tendon/ligament related gene expression of MSCs. MTT assay was used to detect the expansion of MSCs. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was performed to investigate the expression of proliferation associated c-fos gene and tendon/ligament related genes, including type I collagen (Col I), type III collagen (Col III), tenascin C and scleraxis. Significant increase in MSCs expansion was observed after 3 days of co-culture with tenocytes. The c-fos gene expression was found distinctly higher than for control group on day 4 and day 7 of co-culture. The mRNA expression of four tendon/ligament related genes was significantly up-regulated after 14 days of co-culture with tenocytes. Thus, our research indicates that indirect co-culture with tenocytes promotes the proliferation and mRNA expression of tendon/ligament related genes in MSCs, which suggests a directed differentiation of MSCs into tendon/ligament.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from Natural National Science Foundation of China (No. 30770530), Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (CSTC-2009BB5040) and the 111 Project (No. 06023).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, 400044, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China

    Qing Luo, Guanbin Song, Yuanhui Song, Baiyao Xu, Jian Qin & Yisong Shi

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  1. Qing Luo
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  2. Guanbin Song
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  3. Yuanhui Song
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Correspondence to Guanbin Song.

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Luo, Q., Song, G., Song, Y. et al. Indirect co-culture with tenocytes promotes proliferation and mRNA expression of tendon/ligament related genes in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Cytotechnology 61, 1–10 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10616-009-9233-9

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