Age-related decrease in the link-stability of proteoglycan aggregates formed by articular chondrocytes.
Chondrocytes were isolated from the articular cartilage of rabbits aged between 6 and 50 weeks and labelled with [35S]sulphate after 48 h in monolayer culture. The percentage of the total proteoglycan monomers synthesized by each culture that were present as link-stabilized aggregates was shown to be about 83% at 6, 9 and 12 weeks, 73% at 15 weeks, 48% at 30 weeks and 32% at 50 weeks. The proliferative activity of the cells in culture also decreased markedly with the age of the donor. The results suggest that aging of chondrocytes in vivo is accompanied by a decrease in their capacity for link-protein synthesis.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011509:Proteoglycans