Intermittent loading induces the expression of 3-B-3(-) epitope in cultured bovine articular cartilage.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of intermittent loading on the proteoglycans synthesized in intact cultured articular cartilage.


METHODS
Sesamoid bones carrying articular cartilage were subjected to cyclic loading in vitro for one week. A new procedure to fix and decalcify the tissue was developed and an immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of 3-B-3(-) epitope in the articular cartilage was carried out. The proteoglycans synthesized were quantified and studied using CL-2B chromatography.


RESULTS
Loading induced an increase in the synthesis of aggrecan molecules, which were larger and less polydisperse than those from control cartilage. Loading also induced the expression of 3-B-3(-) epitopes on newly synthesized proteoglycans.


CONCLUSIONS
These changes are similar to those found in early experimental and human osteoarthritis (OA). More variables must be studied, but our results suggest that our model might be suitable to study early events in the onset of OA.
Ostendorf
R H
RH
Jan van Breemen Instituut, Center for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
van de Stadt
R J
RJ
van Kampen
G P
GP
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D015415:Biomarkers; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000939:Epitopes / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
D015415:Biomarkers; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D000939:Epitopes