Abstract: Objective To separate rabbit-rib perichondrium cells and cartilage cell, and compare their characteristics. Methods Rib perichondrium cells and rid cartilage cells were isolated from New Zealand white rabbits,aged 3 and 4 weeks by the enzyme digest and adherent culture method and then cultured in vitro. The growth, phenotype and potention of dipogenic and osteogenic differentiation in both types of the cells were observed. Results In the primary generation of rib perichondrium cells were round or polygon and assemble as conglobation; The cells from two-passage began to show a spindle-shape and whirlpool arrangement; and the cells grew to the 15th generation. The primary generation of rib cartilage cells was in cobblestone appearance，and then gradually changed as spindle-shape cells from two-passage to there-passagee cells. But the cells appeared senescence in the five-passage, and then were dead gradually. The results of immunocytochemical stain showed that CD29，CD90 and CD34 were negative in primary rid perichondrium and cartilage cells. From the two passage cells of rib perichondrium and rid cartilage began expressing CD29 and CD90, but not CD34. The collogen type Ⅱwas expressed by the primary rid cartilage cells, and then vanishied in the three-passage cells. The adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation were induced in three-passage rib perichondrium and rid cartilage cells EM>in vitro/EM>. Conclusion The stem cells can be isolated from rib perichondrium and cartilage of rabbit. The cartilage cell may become the stem cell through dedifferentiation EM>in vitro/EM>. The growth of the stem cell derived from rib perichondrium was surp

Key words: Rib perichondrium, Rib cartilage, Stem cell, Biological characteristic, Immunohistochemistry, Rabbit