Serum-dependent effects on adult and fetal tendon fibroblast migration and collagen expression

Cell migration and extracellular matrix synthesis play an important role in the wound-healing response to injury. Several studies have described differences in migratory behavior and collagen biosynthetic activity in adult vs. fetal skin fibroblasts. The objective of this study was to examine the serum- and age-dependent effects on cell migration and collagen expression in tendon fibroblasts. Medial tendon fibroblasts were isolated from pregnant ewes and their fetuses, and cultured with and without serum for up to 7 days. Cell migration was determined by quantitative image analysis, and collagen expression was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining. In serum-containing medium, tendon fibroblasts migrated significantly faster than cells in serum-free medium. Additionally, fetal tendon fibroblasts migrated significantly faster than adult tendon fibroblasts under both culture conditions. The expression of types I and III collagen mRNA was significantly up-regulated in tendon cell populations in serum-free medium compared with those in serum-containing medium. Quantitative assessment of collagen staining indicated that fetal tenocytes produced more type I collagen than adult tenocytes under both culture conditions. These findings suggest that there is an inherent difference between adult and fetal tendon fibroblasts, which may have implications in the wound-healing response in tendons.