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The proliferation and tenogenic differentiation potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell are influenced by specific uniaxial cyclic tensile loading conditions

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Abstract

It has been previously demonstrated that mechanical stimuli are important for multipotent human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) to maintain good tissue homeostasis and even to enhance tissue repair processes. In tendons, this is achieved by promoting the cellular proliferation and tenogenic expression/differentiation. The present study was conducted to determine the optimal loading conditions needed to achieve the best proliferation rates and tenogenic differentiation potential. The effects of mechanical uniaxial stretching using different rates and strains were performed on hMSCs cultured in vitro. hMSCs were subjected to cyclical uniaxial stretching of 4, 8 or 12 % strain at 0.5 or 1 Hz for 6, 24, 48 or 72 h. Cell proliferation was analyzed using alamarBlue\(^\circledR \) assay, while hMSCs differentiation was analyzed using total collagen assay and specific tenogenic gene expression markers (type I collagen, type III collagen, decorin, tenascin-C, scleraxis and tenomodulin). Our results demonstrate that the highest cell proliferation is observed when 4 % strain \(+\) 1 Hz was applied. However, at 8 % strain \(+\) 1 Hz loading, collagen production and the tenogenic gene expression were highest. Increasing strain or rates thereafter did not demonstrate any significant increase in both cell proliferation and tenogenic differentiation. In conclusion, our results suggest that 4 % \(+\) 1 Hz cyclic uniaxial loading increases cell proliferation, but higher strains are required for superior tenogenic expressions. This study suggests that selected loading regimes will stimulate tenogenesis of hMSCs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by HIR-MoE Grant (Reference No. UM.C/625/1/HIR/ MOHE/MED/04, Account No. E000003-20001) and University of Malaya postgraduate student Grant (PS260/2010B). We also thank the University of Malaya for a Ph.D. thesis scholarship for the first author.

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  1. Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (NOCERAL), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Hui Yin Nam, Azlina Amir Abbas, Azhar Mahmood Merican & Tunku Kamarul

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Belinda Pingguan-Murphy

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  1. Hui Yin Nam
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Nam, H.Y., Pingguan-Murphy, B., Amir Abbas, A. et al. The proliferation and tenogenic differentiation potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell are influenced by specific uniaxial cyclic tensile loading conditions. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 14, 649–663 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-014-0628-y

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