Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
Background: Replacement of the defective cartilage with cell-based tissue engineering products can propose a durable treatment for osteoarthritis. Nowadays, obtaining the best composition as a growth factor for differentiation of stem cells is an ideal goal of cell-based tissue engineering. The current study focused on investigating the effect of kartogenin (KGN) and Avocado soybean unsaponifiable (ASU) on chondrogenic induction of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADScs).
Materials and Methods: stem cells were gathered from the human fat and were cultured in the chondrogenic medium within 2 weeks. Then, cell proliferation and viability were evaluated by MTT technique. Chondrogenic differentiation was assessed by histological and histochemical methods. The expression of specific cartilage genes (SOX9, Aggrecan, and type II Collagen) and hypertrophy marker gene (type X collagen) was measured with real-time PCR. The types II and X Collagens proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry technique. Results: KGN increased the expression of chondrogenic genes such as SOX9, COL II, and AGG significantly (P<0.05) in differentiated cells than the other groups. Also, ASU raised the expression of COL II and AGG significantly (P<0.05) in differentiated cells compared with the control group. But, the expression of SOX9 in ASU group was no significant comparing to the control. The synthesis of cartilage matrix increased in both groups. ASU decreased the expression Collagen X gene in comparison to KGN. Conclusion: The results suggested that KGN induced chondrogenesis in hADScs better than the ASU, within 14 days. But, ASU reduces the expression of type X collagen better than the KGN in the stem cells
