We stably transfected early passage chondrocytes with an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene in vitro using a retrovirus vector. Samples of articular cartilage were obtained from 11 patients with a mean age of 69 years (61 to 75) who were undergoing total knee replacement for osteoarthritis. The Bcl-2-gene-transfected chondrocytes were compared with non-transfected and lac-Z-gene-transfected chondrocytes...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is closely related to the function of several inflammatory cytokines. It has been reported that older age is associated with higher serum levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-18. In the present study, we investigated the long-term role of serum IL-18 in cartilage loss in vivo using a new strain of IL-18 transgenic mouse (Tg) in comparison with wild-type (WT) mice. The IL-1...

Articular cartilage is an avascular connective tissue in which the availability of oxygen and glucose is significantly lower than synovial fluid and plasma. Glucose is an important metabolic fuel and structural precursor that plays a key role in the synthesis of extracellular matrix macromolecules in articular cartilage. However, glucose concentrations in cartilage can fluctuate depending on ag...

Background. Besides its involvement in the cardiovascular system, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS) system has also been suggested to play an important role in inflammation. To explore the role of this system in cartilage damage in arthritis, we investigated the expression of angiotensin II receptors in chondrocytes. Methods. Articular cartilage was obtained from patients with osteoarthri...

Articular cartilage injuries remain a clinical challenge and are known to double the incidence of degenerative joint disorders if left untreated. Current therapeutic options suffer from major drawbacks, such as defect-size limitations, long and complex rehabilitation times, donor-site morbidity and limited graft material. Even the more advanced cell-based therapies show highly variable clinical...

Articular cartilage has limited potential for self-repair, and cell-based strategies combining scaffolds chondrocytes are currently used to treat injuries. However, achieving a satisfying level of cell redifferentiation following expansion remains challenging. Hydrogels perfusion bioreactors known exert beneficial cues on chondrocytes; however, the effect combined approach quality matrix deposi...

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of IL-1β and TGF-β1 on the expression of differentiation-associated genes in chondrocytes in vitro. Rat costal chondrocytes were exposed to different concentrations of IL-1β and TGF-β1 for 48 h and tested for gene expression. IL-1β increased the expression of aggrecanase-1 and aggrecanase-2 and decreased the content of aggrecan and collagen II....

OBJECTIVE To determine the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and protein expression in normal and osteoarthritic (OA) human articular cartilage, and whether VEGF expression alters during the progression of OA. METHODS Sections from normal and OA human knee cartilage were immunotained with a polyclonal antibody recognising VEGF. In addition, total RNA was isolated from n...

The in vitro phenotype of bovine articular chondrocytes is described. Chondrocytes plated at high density in roller-bottle and dish cultures were maintained in vitro. The major matrix macromolecules, collagen and proteoglycan, synthesized by these cells were characterized during the course of the culture period. The chondrocytes synthesized mainly Type II collagen, which was found predominantly...

INTRODUCTION: Articular chondrocytes exhibit an extensive hyaluronan (HA) and proteoglycan-rich pericellular matrix that is tethered to the cell surface via interactions with the HA receptor, CD44. One hallmark of osteoarthritic cartilage is the loss of proteoglycan from the extracellular matrix. This may represents the disruption of proteoglycan/HA-chondrocyte interactions. One of our experime...