Potential Use of Collagen-Chitosan-Hyaluronan Tri-Copolymer Scaffold for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Figures & data

Figure 1 (a) SME micrograph of the porous collagen/chitosan/HA tri-copolymer scaffold. (b) SME micrograph of the porous collagen/hyaluronan/chitosan tri-copolymer scaffold incubation in DMEM medium after 21 days.

Table 1. Physico-chemical characteristics of various scaffolds

Scaffold	Col^a	Col-Chi^b	Col-Chi-HA^c
Water-binding capacity (%)^d	11.84 ± 1.50	13.42 ± 1.01	15.03 ± 1.24
Tensile strength^d (MPa)^e	0.37 ± 0.05	0.51 ± 0.08	0.48 ± 0.06
Degradation by collagenase (%)^e,^f	100	41.08 ± 9.72	45.62 ± 7.64

^aCol: collagen scaffold.

^bCol/Chi: collagen bound chitosan scaffold.

^cCol/Chi/HA: Hyaluronan bound collagen/chitosan scaffold.

^d_gH₂O/_gscaffold.

^eValues are mean ± SD (n = 5).

^fExpressed as percentage, relative to a completely degraded matrix, which is set 100%.

Figure 2 (a) GAG content of chondrocytes in collagen, collagen/chitosan and collagen/chitosan/HA scaffolds as a function of time of culture. Results are expressed as µg GAG per scaffold. Values are mean ± SD (n = 4); (b) DNA content of chondrocytes in collagen, collagen/chitosan and collagen/chitosan/HA scaffolds as a function of time of culture. Results are expressed as µg DNA per scaffold. Values are mean ± SD (n = 4).

Figure 3 (a) Chondrocytes in Col/Chi/HA matrix 1 week after seeding. (b) chondrocytes in Col/Chi/HA matrix 3 weeks after seeding. H&E staining.

Figure 4 (a and b) Environment scanning electron micrographs in Col/Chi/HA scaffold, a week after cell seeding, and at two magnifications. Bar indicates 50 µm in a and 20 µm in b. (c and d) Environment scanning electron micrographs in Col/Chi/HA scaffold 3 weeks after seeding with chondrocytes. (d) Magnification from the same area as C.

Figure 5 Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction results against collagen types I and II of chondrocytes according to culture after 14 days within Col/Chi/HA scaffold. 1 = collagen type II and GAPDH; 2 = collagen I and GAPDH; M = 100 bp, 250 bp, 500 bp, 750 bp, 1000 bp and 2000 bp DNA ladder.