Tracheal Chondrocytes (TrC)

Tracheal chondrocytes were isolated from tracheal tissue. Cartilage consists of chondrocytes and an intercellular matrix. The intrachondral matrix is gel-like and has strong toughness. Cartilage is a type of connective tissue that primarily serves as a support. Cartilage does not contain blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, and nutrients from the blood vessels within the perichondrium penetrate into the intercellular matrix, which then nourish the chondrocytes. Chondrocytes are small, oblate and spherical, mostly single. Toward the middle of the airway wall, the chondrocytes were larger and more round, and the cartilage lacunae were obvious. The cartilage matrix surrounding the lacunae is basophilic and is a cartilage sac. Chondrocytes can synthesize and secrete type II, Type IX and XI collagen, of which type II collagen is the main, accounting for about 90% of the total collagen, type II collagen is divided into two types A and B, existing studies have confirmed that type II collagen is a unique component of articular cartilage. The division of chondrocytes is confined to the chondrosac, and usually two or more cells are located in the same sac, named homologous cell clusters. Chondrocytes are essential to cartilage and extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. They alter neighboring cell functions including proliferation, self-renewal or differentiation, migration, and apoptosis.