Tissue-specific ageing of rat tendon-derived progenitor cells
Nanette Scutt
Adiv A. Johnson
Andrew Scutt
Alexandra Stolzing
2134/20953
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Tissue-specific_ageing_of_rat_tendon-derived_progenitor_cells/9563510
Although ageing predisposes tendons for various pathologies, the effect of ageing on tendon stem/progenitor
cells has received little attention. In this study, we compared tendon progenitor cells from patellar, Achilles and tail
tendons derived from young (8-12 weeks old) and mature (52 weeks old) rats. The mean number of progenitor cells/
mg was reduced with age in all three tendons and this reduction reached statistical significance in both Achilles
and tail tendons. As determined by colony-forming-unit-fibroblasts assays, mean colony number and size were both
statistically unchanged with age in patellar and Achilles tendons. In contrast, both colony number and size were
significantly reduced in cultures derived from mature tail tendons relative to those derived from young tail tendons.
While colonies per mg tissue were reduced with age in all three tendons, this reduction was only statistically significant
for tail tendon. Lipofuscin and ROS content in cell progenitors were unchanged with age in all 3 tendons. Conversely,
carbonyl content was significantly increased and telomerase activity significantly decreased in mature tail tendon
cells relative to young tendon cells. These data suggest that, in the first year of life, rat Achilles and patellar tendons
suffer relatively little oxidative damage. In contrast, tail tendons experience an increase protein oxidation, a decrease
in telomerase activity and a substantial reduction in progenitor cell numbers. That the source and age of tendon
progenitors used influences the quality and density of the progenitor cells isolated from it has important implications
for clinical strategies aimed at tendon repair.
2016-04-18 14:49:26
Tendon
Aging
Progenitors
Stem cells
CFU-f
Mechanical Engineering not elsewhere classified