The expression of proteoglycan in lumbar intervertebral disc cells in microcarrier culture

Objective To study the expression of proteoglycan in lumbar intervertebral disc cells in three-dimension(microcarrier)culture and monolayer culture.Methods Disc tissue from damaged lumbar segments was obtained by either discectomy or mucleotomy in patients who had a disorder of lumbar intervertebral disc,and cells were inoculated in three-dimension culture and monolayer culture after dissociation from disc tissue by enzyme digestion.Intervertebral disc cells of fetus separated into nucleus pulposus cells and annulus fibrosus cells under microscope were cultured in the same way respectively.The expression of proteoglycan was detected by 35S-sulfate cooperation assay.Results The contents of proteoglycan in the intervertebral disc cells of microcarrier culture(136.607±10.792)was higher than that of monolayer culture(101.909±11.439,P0.05),while the content of proteoglycan expressed out of the intervertebral disc cells of microcarrier culture(174.231±17.676)was more than that of monolayer culture(105.119±13.040,P0.05).Data showed that the higher expression and contents of proteoglycan occurred in the group of fetal intervertebral disc cells than that of adult degenerative intervertebral disc cells,and higher expression of proteoglycan in fetal nucleus pulposus cells than that of the annulus fibrosus cells.Conclusion Three-dimension(microcarrier)culture with higher expression of proteoglycan will be a good method for adult degenerative intervertebral disc cells.