Objective: To evaluate the use of alginate three-dimensional culture system for mandibular condylar chondrocytes culture in vitro from human osteoarthritic temporomandibular joint.
Methods: The cultured mandibular condylar chondrocytes from the operatively removed cartilage from a patient with osteoarthritic temporomandibular joint were harvested by mechanical dissection and enzyme digestion. Partial chondrocytes were suspended in the aqueous sodium alginate beads with high seeding density and cultured for 4 weeks, while the others were cultured in monolayer culture condition for 1 week. Thereafter, the alginate beads were embedded in paraffin and sectioned, then studied immunologically with type II collagen antibody and aggrecan antibody, same studies were adopted for the monolayer cultures.
Results: The monolayer cultures were confirmed as chondrocytes. The chondrocytes cultured in the alginate medium showed well. These cells exhibited the excellent differentiated phenotype after 4 weeks culture in alginate gel.
Conclusions: The condylar chondrocytes from human osteoarthritic temporomandibular joint were successfully cultured in vitro. The alginate three-dimensional culture system was successfully adopted for in vitro culture of condylar chondrocytes from human osteoarthritic temporomandibular joint, in which the chondrocytes exhibited the excellent differentiated phenotype.