Donor tissue type alters the effects of mesenchymal stem cells on human osteoarthritic chondrocytes and their metabolomic profiles.

Early post-traumatic osteoarthritis due to sports injuries is not rare and cell-based therapies are currently used in the treatment. Infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP), synovium (Sy) and subcutaneous adipose (S) tissues were obtained for analysis and MSC isolation. Osteoarthritic (OACs) and normal chondrocytes were co-cultured with MSCs for days seven and 14. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) levels were analysed in the supernatants. Untargeted metabolomic analyses were performed in the collected tissues and co-culture media of the experiment groups. TNFα concentrations were lower in IPFP-MSC and Sy-MSC had lower than OACs on day 14. Likewise, MMP-3 decreased in the same groups on day seven and day 14 (p = 0.036). Metabolomic analysis showed distinct profiles in the tissues and metabolic changes in the co-culture media. The extracellular environment of MSCs derived from the IPFP, Sy and S have distinct features and effects on OACs.