Chondrocyte number and proteoglycan synthesis in the aging and osteoarthritic human articular cartilage
Open Access
- 1 December 2004
- journal article
- other
- Published by BMJ in Annals Of The Rheumatic Diseases
- Vol. 63 (12), 1618-1622
- https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2002.002162
Abstract
Objective: To correlate the number of chondrocytes in healthy and osteoarthritic human articular cartilage with age, and to evaluate the influence of donor age on total proteoglycan synthesis. Methods: Chondrocytes were isolated from human articular cartilage derived from hip joints with and without osteoarthritic lesions. The cell number was normalised to cartilage sample wet weight. In addition, the influence of age on chondrocyte numbers was assessed histomorphometrically. Chondrocytes were grown as monolayer cultures for seven days in a chemically defined serum-free basal medium. Total proteoglycan synthesis was measured by [35S]sulphate incorporation into newly synthesised macromolecules. Results: Chondrocyte numbers in healthy cartilage decreased significantly with advancing age (r = −0.69, pConclusions: Under the experimental conditions employed, chondrocytes from healthy and osteoarthritic joints synthesised comparable amounts of cartilage macromolecules, independent of age or underlying osteoarthritic disease. Thus the decrease in chondrocyte number in aging and osteoarthritic joints could be a crucial factor in limiting tissue replenishment.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Influence of aging on the synthesis and morphology of the aggrecans synthesized by differentiated human articular chondrocytesOsteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2000
- Cartilage-Derived Morphogenetic Proteins and Osteogenic Protein-1 Differentially Regulate OsteogenesisJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 1998
- Growth factor responsiveness of human articular chondrocytes in aging and developmentArthritis & Rheumatism, 1995
- Age‐Related changes in cartilage proteoglycans: Quantitative electron microscopic studiesMicroscopy Research and Technique, 1994
- OSTEOARTHRITIC HUMAN CARTILAGE IS MORE SENSITIVE TO TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR THAN IS NORMAL CARTILAGERheumatology, 1993
- Independent expression of fibril-forming collagens I, II, and III in chondrocytes of human osteoarthritic cartilage.JCI Insight, 1993
- Variation of chemical composition with age in human femoral head cartilage.Annals Of The Rheumatic Diseases, 1978
- Tensile fatigue of human articular cartilageJournal of Biomechanics, 1976
- Differences in Collagen Metabolism between Normal and Osteoarthritic Human Articular CartilageScience, 1973
- Cell Counts of Normal and Osteo-Arthritic Articular Cartilage in Relation to the Uptake of Sulphate (35SO4) in vitroAnnals Of The Rheumatic Diseases, 1962