Extracelllar matrix (ECM) materials from mammalian tissues have been broadly used for tissue engineering for animal models. While decellularization of tissues such as bladder, heart valve, knee meniscus and tendon has been performed, there are a few reports for articular cartilage. In This study we aimed to develop a technique to decellularize bovine articular cartilage as a biological construct for cartilage substitution. For this purpose, different decellularization protocols including freeze/thaw cycles followed by treatment with various concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were used. Decellularization was analyzed by histological examination including hematoxylin and eosin and picrosirius staining. Treatment with 2%SDS for 5 to 8h followed by 4% SDS for3h hada significant effect on decellularization process with the minimal effect on the collagen contents. On the other hand, Treatment with 1% SDS had no effect on cell removal and use of 8% SDS for 5 to 8 h resulted in complete elimination of cells and significant decrease in cartilage matrix and collagen contents. This study provides a technique to produce acellular ECM derived from articular bovine cartilage whichmay serve as a xenogenicscaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.

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