Comparative assessment of human chondroprogenitor viability and molecular phenotype in various parenteral transport media.

Abstract

Chondroprogenitors derived from articular cartilage offer a promising approach for treating cartilage pathologies owing to their high chondrogenic and low hypertrophic potential. Optimizing holding conditions and parenteral solutions for transporting these cells from the processing to the transplantation site is crucial to enable their clinical application. This study assessed the viability, molecular phenotype maintenance, and differentiation potential of human fibronectin adhesion assay-derived chondroprogenitors (FAA-CPs) suspended in five parenteral solutions-(a) normal saline (NS), (b) plasma-lyte A, (c) 5% dextrose, (d) hyaluronic acid (HA), and (e) platelet-rich plasma (PRP) at 5 × 10⁶ cells/ml and stored at 4 °C for 0, 6, and 12 h. FAA-CPs were isolated from nondiseased cartilage samples (n = 3). The assessments done included viability by Vi-CELL BLU assay and calcein AM-propidium iodide; surface chondrogenic marker expression; and differentiation potential by confirmatory staining. The cells exhibited positive mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) markers, moderate-to-high chondrogenic marker expression, and trilineage differentiation potential. Viability was preserved in NS, plasma-lyte A, 5% dextrose, and HA, but significantly declined in PRP. All groups retained multilineage potential, with higher Safranin-O uptake and collagen II accumulation in NS, plasma-lyte A, and 5% dextrose, suggesting enhanced chondrogenesis. Notably, 5% dextrose exhibited minimal collagen X accumulation, indicating low hypertrophic potential. NS, plasma-lyte A, and 5% dextrose poses to be optimal parenteral solutions for the formulation of chondroprogenitor suspensions, with a holding time of up to 12 h. Factoring lower hypertrophic potential, 5% dextrose seems to stand out among the other solutions as a cell-delivery vehicle for the treatment of cartilage diseases.