Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide-Induced Calcium Alginate Gel Combined with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Differentiating to Osteoblasts

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been confirmed with induction osteoblastic differentiation, but if it can make the three-dimensional culture of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to the osteoblastic differentiation, thus constructing tissue-engineered bone rare reports. To investigate the feasibility of exogenous CGRP-induced calcium alginate gel combined with ADSCs from rabbits in three-dimensional condition to construct tissue-engineered bone. ADSCs were obtained by collagenase I digestion of the subcutaneous adipose tissue of inguinal region of New Zealand rabbits. At the third passage, cells were mixed with sodium alginate to prepare calcium alginate gel, and the cells were assigned into two-group cultivates in 24 orifice plates. ADSCs in the control group were treated with DMEM/F-12 medium supplemented with 10(−2) mol/L β-glycerophosphate sodium, 10(−7)mol/L dexamethasone, 50 mg/L ascorbic acid, 0.1 % volume fraction of fetal bovine serum. ADSCs in the experimental group were incubated with the same medium as above, and in addition 1.5 µg/L CGRP was added. The cells proliferation and the mRNA expressions of collagen I and osteocalcin were detected by MTT and RT-PCR assays, respectively and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and calcium concentration at different induction time were detected. The cell proliferation curves were S shaped. The OD values of experimental group were higher than those of control group at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 21 days after osteogenic induction (P < 0.05). ALP and alizarin red stains of ADSCs were all positive, but golden round nodes became bigger and more in the experimental group compared with the control group after 2 weeks. At 7 and 14 days, collagen I and osteocalcin mRNA expression were greater in the experimental group than the control group. ALP and calcium concentration of experimental group were higher than that of control group at 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks after osteogenic induction (P < 0.05). Thus, these results show that the CGRP-induced ADSCs combined with calcium alginate gel to osteoblasts differentiation.