Experimental study of super paramagnetic iron oxide labeled synovial mesenchymal stem cells

To investigate the feasibility and changes of biological characteristics before and after synovial mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) labelled by super paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO). The rabbit SMSCs were isolated, cultured, purified and identified in vitro. After adding the different concentrations of SPIO-labelled liquid, the cells were incubated 24 h in 37°C carbon dioxide incubator. The labeled-cell samples were observed by Prussian blue staining, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and the cell biology before and after the labeling was compared. The blue stained particles could be seen in the cytoplasm; the SPIO label was positive in 95% SMSC cells. With the concentration of the label liquid increasing, the blue-stained cytoplasm became darker. A large number of high electron density particles could be seen in the cytoplasm and in the pinocytosis vesicles by TEM, which suggested SPIO label positive. When the SPIO concentration was (12.5~50) μg/mL, the differences in cell proliferation and cell viability between the SMSCs after labelling and the SMSCs before labelling were not significant; when the concentration was over 100 μg/mL, the cell proliferation and cell viability were inhibited. A certain concentration range of SPIO can safely label the rabbit SMSC according to this study, which is important for solving the problem of tracing SMSCs in the joints.