JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR HISTOLOGY, cilt.43, sa.5, ss.497-508, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
This study investigated the involvement of CNP-3, chick homologue for human C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), in TGF-beta 1 induced chondrogenic differentiation of chicken bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs in pellet cultures was induced by TGF-beta 1. Chondrogenic differentiation and glycosaminoglycan synthesis were analyzed on the basis of basic histology, collagen type II expression, and Alcian blue staining. Antibodies against CNP and NPR-B were used to block their function during these processes. Results revealed that expression of CNP-3 and NPR-B in MSCs were regulated by TGF-beta 1 in monolayer cultures at mRNA level. In pellet cultures of MSCs, TGF-beta 1 successfully induced chondrogenic differentiation and glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Addition of CNP into the TGF-beta 1 supplemented chondrogenic differentiation medium further induced the glycosaminoglycan synthesis and hypertrophy of differentiated chondrocytes in these pellets. Pellets induced with TGF-beta 1 and treated with antibodies against CNP and NPR-B, did show collagen type II expression, however, Alcian blue staining showing glycosaminoglycan synthesis was significantly suppressed. In conclusion, CNP-3/NPR-B signaling may strongly be involved in synthesis of glycosaminoglycans of the chondrogenic matrix and hypertrophy of differentiated chondrocytes during TGF-beta 1 induced chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs.