Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with platinum nanoparticles accelerate fracture healing in a rat tibial fracture model

Chuan-Jie Chen; Yuan Feng; Lin Jin; Xin Wang; Li-Xiao-Zi Xu; Jia-Mei Lin; Li-Wen Feng; Li-Na Liu; Zhiyong Hou

doi:10.21037/atm-22-1196

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with platinum nanoparticles accelerate fracture healing in a rat tibial fracture model

Ann Transl Med. 2022 Apr;10(8):450. doi: 10.21037/atm-22-1196.

Authors

Chuan-Jie Chen¹, Yuan Feng², Lin Jin¹, Xin Wang¹, Li-Xiao-Zi Xu³, Jia-Mei Lin⁴, Li-Wen Feng⁵, Li-Na Liu⁶, Zhiyong Hou¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
² Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
³ Department of Plastic Surgery, Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital, Foshan, China.
⁴ Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
⁵ Boji Medical Biotechnological Co., Ltd., Boji Pharmaceutical Research Center, Guangzhou, China.
⁶ General Medical Department, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Abstract

Background: At present, bone union delay or failure remains challenging for clinicians. It has been reported that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) offer a promising way to promote bone fracture healing. In recent years, nanomaterials have been applied in regenerative medicine. This study aimed to investigate whether ADMSCs combined with platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) could further improve fracture healing on the basis of ADMSCs.

Methods: ADMSCs were co-cultured with PtNPs in vitro to investigate the effect of PtNPs on the differentiation of ADMSCs. Twenty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups (with five rats in each group). The left tibias of all rats were fractured. Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), PtNPs, ADMSC, and ADMSC mixed with PtNPs were then injected into the fracture sites based on the group classifications. The fracture was monitored by X-ray immediately after the fracture and on days 14 and 28 post-fracture. The tibias of the rats were subsequently harvested after the last X-ray and evaluated by micro computed tomography (micro-CT), histological analysis, and immunohistochemical detection.

Results: PtNPs significantly enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of ADMSCs in vitro. On days 14 and 28 post-fracture, the radiographic score of the ADMSC + PtNPs group was higher than that of the ADMSC group, the score of the ADMSC group was higher than that of the PtNPs and control groups, and there was no significant difference between the PtNPs and control groups. Micro-CT confirmed that combined ADMSCs with PtNPs were more effective than using ADMSCs alone in promoting fracture healing. The histological and immunohistochemical results further supported this conclusion.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that PtNPs could promote osteogenic differentiation of ADMSC in vitro. ADMSCs combined with PtNPs could accelerate fracture healing further in vivo and are a promising a potential method for the treatment of fracture healing.

Keywords: Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs); adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs); bone healing.