Effects Of Structure And Physicochemical Properties Of The A Novel Biological Cartilage Scaffold Fabricated With Wharton’s Jelly Of Umbilical Cord Resulted By Different Process

Objective To explore the methods of fabricate a novel biological cartilage scaffold with Wharton’s jelly of human umbilical cord and the feasibility of the scaffold as scaffold’s carrier of cartilage tissue engineering. Through the observation the appearance and micro structure of scaffold which produced under different conditions and the test its general physical and chemical properties, to research which condition can meet the requirements of the physical and chemical properties of cartilage scaffold best, so as to provide the experimental basis for the research of novel biological cartilage tissue engineering scaffold.Methods We separated out the Wharton’s jelly from the fresh umbilical cord and divided them into6groups(A1、A2、A3、B1、B2、B3), all groups of the Wharton’s jelly were fabricated into cartilage by the method of enzyme digestion combined with physical freeze-thaw to take off the cells and the method of freeze-drying. The times of digestion and the temperatures of pre-freezing of each group are30minutes,-196℃(A1),30minutes,-80℃(A2),30minutes,-20℃(A3),1hour,-196℃(B1),1hour,-80℃(B2),1hour,-20℃(B3). The scaffolds of each group was prepared and served for the HE stain and the scanning electron microscope (SEM)observation, and the pore diameter, porosity,density, swelling ratio and degradation ratio analysis of the scaffolds of each group were investigated.Result Gross observation showed the scaffolds of all groups was a white loosely spongelike substance which surface was porous., these scaffolds was crisscross network of three-dimensional porous cylindrical structure and looked like sponge under the HE stain and the SEM observation; the pore distribution was more even and the pores connected with each other. There were no cell residues in the scaffolds of all groups, the groups which digestive time was30minutes showed it had been digested well, but the other groups which digestive time was1hour showed it had been digested overly and its integrity and continuity of pored wall was not good enough. With the pre-freezing temperature rised, the pore diameter, porosity, swelling ratio and degradation ratio of the scaffolds of each group rised, and the density reduced.Conclusion We can fabricate a biological cartilage scaffold which has crisscross network of three-dimensional porous cylindrical structure and pores connected with each other with Wharton’s jelly. The Wharton’s jelly biological cartilage scaffolds of the group which digestive time was30minutes and the pre-freezing temperature was-80℃took off cells thoroughly and its integrity of pored wall was good, it met to the requirements of the physical and chemical properties of cartilage tissue engineering scaffold.