The objective of this study was to investigate the curative effects of mesenchymal stem cells' tenogenic differentiation on linea alba incision healing induced by bone morphogenetic protein-12. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and induced by 10 ng/ml of bone morphogenetic protein-12 for 48 h. Expression of scleraxis, collagen I and collagen III were examined at 48 h, 5 and 7 days to investigate the tenogenic differentiation. The expression of scleraxis increases continually even in the absence of bone morphogenetic protein-12 for 5 days (P<0.01). The expression of collagen I and III requires persistent inducing. Then fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: negative control, positive control, sham group, native mesenchymal stem cells and tenogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells. Tensiometric testing and modified semiquantitative histological analysis were performed to explore the curative effects. The tension levels in the positive control, sham, native mesenchymal stem cells and tenogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells were 44, 41.8, 51.6 and 69.7%, respectively, compared with the negative control. Tenogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells exhibited a greater increase in tension compared with positive control, sham and native mesenchymal stem cell groups (P<0.05). From the sections stained with Masson's Trichrome, collagen organization and amount of tenogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells was better than the other three groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, mesenchymal stem cells' tenogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic protein-12 can enhance linea alba incision healing.
Keywords: bone morphogenetic protein-12; incisional hernia; linea alba incision; mesenchymal stem cells.