Abstract
Stem cells have the characteristics of long-term self-renewal and plasticity and the ability to differentiate into specialized cells. Stem cells are widely recognized as potential tools for use in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of demographic factors on adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation in bone marrow-derived stem cell (BMSC) spheroids. Age- and gender-associated alterations in the adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs were examined. Human BMSCs were isolated from male and female participants in their 20s, 30s and 50s. Cell morphology and relative values of adipogenesis and chondrogenesis were examined by measuring the relative intensity of oil red O and Alcian blue staining, respectively. Cell morphology alterations in BMSCs isolated from male and female participants in their 20s, 30s and 50s and grown in adipogenic media were very similar. In addition, there were no significant differences in the relative values of adipogenesis in BMSCs for the 20s, 30s and 50s age groups on day 8 and 16. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in the relative values of adipogenesis in BMSCs for the male and female groups on day 8 and 16. Cell morphology changes in BMSCs isolated from male and female participants in their 20s, 30s and 50s and grown in chondrogenic media were very similar. In addition, there were no significant differences in the relative values of chondrogenesis in BMSCs for the 20s, 30s and 50s age groups on day 8, however there was a significant difference observed in the relative values of chondrogenesis in BMSCs on day 16 for the 30s and 50s age groups, compared with the 20s age group. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the relative values of adipogenesis in BMSCs for the male and female groups on day 8 and 16. The current study demonstrated that there were no significant differences in the adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs isolated from healthy male donors vs. healthy female donors. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in the adipogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs isolated from different age groups on day 8. However, there was a significant increase in the chondrogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs isolated from participants in their 30s and 50s, compared with BMSCs isolated from participants in their 20s on day 16.