Objective: To develop a scaffold material containing collagen 1 and sodium hyaluronate for the cartilage tissue engineering and to evaluate its biocompatibility by using the rabbit chondrocytes derived from a mandibular condylar process.
Methods: The porous matrices containing collagen 1 and sodium hyaluronate were fabricated by the freeze-drying technique and were crosslinked by using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC). The microstructure of the scaffold was observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the enzymatic degradation test was performed to compare the ability of the scaffold resistance to collagenase before and after the crosslinking. The chondrocytes from the rabbits' condylar process were isolated and cultured before they were seeded into the scaffold, and cell attachment and proliferation were measured by the cell count 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days after the cell being seeded; then, the biocompatibility of the scaffold was evaluated by the light microscopic examination, histological examination, and the SEM exmination.
Results: The porous structure of the scaffold facilitated the penetration and attachment of the seeded cells. The porosity was 83.7% and the pore size was 100-120 microm. The cell number increased from 3.7 x 10(4) per scaffold 1 day after the cell being seeded to 8.2 x 10(4) per scaffold 10 days after the cell being seeded. The crosslinking treatment could significantly enhance the scaffold resistance to the collagenase activity. The examinations under the light microscope and SEM indicated that the chondrocyte adhered and spread well on the scaffold, and the extracellular matrices were also observed around the chondrocytes.
Conclusion: The porous scaffold composed of collagen I and hyaluronan has an appropriate structure and a good biocompatibility for the attachment and proliferation of the chondrocytes, which can facilitate it to become a useful scaffold in the cartilage tissue engineering.