Assessment of the Efficacy of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells against a Monoiodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis Model in Wistar Rats

Figure 9

Photomicrographs of hematoxylin and eosin- (H&E-) stained sections of left knees joints of the following groups: (a) is a section from the control group which demonstrates the normal structure of articular cartilage, with a regular smooth intact surface and well-organized chondrocytes, which appeared in noncalcified (NCC) and calcified (CC) regions of cartilage with a clear intact tidemark (arrowhead) in between. The noncalcified region (NCC) of the articular cartilage is arranged in three zones: superficial (S), transitional (T), and radial (R) zones. It also shows intact subchondral bone (SC) with well-oriented bony trabeculae (arrow) (scale ). (b, c) Are sections from osteoarthritic rats (MIA-treated group). (b) Depicts clefting (curved arrows), surface erosion, degeneration of the surface layer with discontinuity of the matrix (star), discontinuous thin cancellous bone trabeculae having blind ends (arrows), decrease in thickness of articular cartilage, degenerated chondrocytes with pyknotic nuclei (arrowheads), and widening of bone marrow space (BM) containing less hemopoietic cells, invisible tidemark, and large, thickened area at the joint margin and disorganization of the articular cartilage with some cell clusters (thick arrow). (c) Shows the matrix change, loss, degeneration (), and heterogeneous distribution of chondrocytes in the growth plate. (d, e) Are sections from the treatment group (MIA + BMMSCs). (d) Displays intact synovial membrane (SV) and marked restoration of the normal structure of the articular cartilage intact surface and increase in its thickness and nearly normal bone marrow space (BM) compared to the MIA-treated group, organized fibrous connective tissue (thin arrows), clarification of tidemark (arrowhead), and cell layers with few shrunken chondrocytes, some empty lacunae (scale ). (e) Demonstrates neatly and normally oriented chondrocytes of the growth plate (scale ).

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