Isolation of primary avian osteocytes

Osteocytes can be isolated from chicken calvaria using mild EDTA treatment alternating with collagenase treatment. The cell population obtained contains both osteoblasts and osteocytes. A pure population of osteocytes is obtained following immunomagnetic separation with the osteocyte-specific monoclonal antibody MAb OB7.3

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound affects human articular chondrocytes in vitro

We investigated whether low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) stimulates chondrocyte proliferation and matrix production in explants of human articular cartilage obtained from donors suffering from unicompartimental osteoarthritis of the knee, as well as in isolated human chondrocytes in vitro. Chondrocytes and explants were exposed to LIPUS (30 mW/cm2; 20 min/day, 6 days). Stimulation of [35S]-sulphate incorporation into proteoglycans by LIPUS was 1.3-fold higher in degenerative than in collateral monolayers as assessed biochemically and 1.9-fold higher in explants as assessed by autoradiography. LIPUS decreased the number of cell nests containing 1-3 chondrocytes by 1.5 fold in collateral and by 1.6 fold in degenerative explants. LIPUS increased the number of nests containing 4-6 chondrocytes by 4.8 fold in collateral and by 3.9 fold in degenerative explants. This suggests that LIPUS stimulates chondrocyte proliferation and matrix production in chondrocytes of human articular cartilage in vitro. LIPUS might provide a feasible tool for cartilage tissue repair in osteoarthritic patients, since it stimulates chondrocyte proliferation and matrix production