Rat costochondral cell characteristics on poly (L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) scaffolds

This study was designed to examine the adhesion, proliferation, and morphology of chondrocytes on new scaffolds; and to examine these cells histologically for the ability of the chondrocytes to maintain chondrogenic properties after subcutaneous implantation into nude mice. Both 75:25 poly (L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) (75PLC) and 50:50 poly (L-lactide-co-epsilon-capro-lactone) scaffold (50PLC) were tested as a scaffold for rat costochondral resting zone chondrocytes in comparison with a type I collagen sponge scaffold (collagen scaffold). Both of the poly (L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) scaffolds (75PLC and 50PLC) were coated with type I collagen solution and the effects of the collagen coat (hybrid-PLC) were also examined. The hybrid-75PLC bound the same number of cells as the collagen scaffold, whereas the 75PLC and the 50PLC bound 60% and 50% fewer cells than the collagen scaffold, respectively. The cell growth on the scaffolds progressed with culture time in all scaffolds. Cell morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscopy for differences in the structure of cellular interaction. Chondrocytes on every scaffold maintained a spherical shape. The hybrid-PLCs were superior to the PLCs with respect to the number of cells attached. The PLCs had an advantageous degradation characteristic in that they retained their original shape better than the collagen scaffold. Additionally, in the PLCs seeded, the cells retained their integrity 4 weeks after implantation, although the volume of collagen scaffold decreased by 50%.