title: The biosynthetic response of the mature chondrocyte in early osteoarthritis.
abstract: Metabolic studies in early experimental osteoarthritis (OA) have shown that the rate of proteoglycan synthesis in the diseased articular cartilage may be markedly enhanced relative to normal; elevated rates of synthesis were however accompanied by increased release of new molecules from the tissue so that the response was apparently non-reparative. Described here are experiments with immature and mature chondrocytes in culture which show that aging of chondrocytes in vivo is accompanied by a marked fall in the capacity of these cells to synthesize link protein and to assemble a proteoglycan-rich matrix. It is suggested that poor deposition of proteoglycan by mature chondrocytes in OA may result from insufficient synthesis of link protein for stabilization of aggregates.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits; D000099249:Proteoglycan Link Protein
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D000099249:Proteoglycan Link Protein