Conclusion
The stimulating effect of NC was confirmed and the ideal ratio of NPC: NC was found to be ~50:50. This has direct implications for tissue-engineering approaches, which aim to repopulate discs with NP-like precursor cells.
Methods
Here, we addressed the importance of cell ratio using alginate bead 3-D co-culture of bovine nucleus pulposus cells (bNPC) and porcine notochordal cells (pNCs) for 14 days using culture inserts. Result: We found a significant stimulation of bNPC in the presence of pNC in terms of cell activity and glycosaminoglycan production, but not for proliferation (DNA content). Relative gene expression was significantly stimulated for collagen type 2 and aggrecan.