title: Effect of basic fibroblast growth factor and hyaluronic acid on proliferation of rabbit chondrocytes in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and hyaluronic acid (HA) on the proliferation of rabbit chondrocytes in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chondrocytes from the knee joints of New Zealand white rabbits were cultured. bFGF or HA or both were added into the culture medium respectively, and the proliferation of the chondrocytes was measured with MTT 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2, 5-diphenyl-tetra-zolium bromide. (MTT, Sigma, M2128).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Basic fibroblast growth factor (10 ng/ml) with low concentration of fetal bovine serum in the culture medium promoted the proliferation of chondrocytes significantly, and this effect reached its maximum when concentration of bFGF reached 50 ng/ml. HA itself had no effect on the proliferation of chondrocytes. However, when bFGF was used in combination with HA, especially when the concentration of bFGF was 50-500 ng/ml and that of HA was 10-50 ng/ml, the effect on the proliferation of chondrocytes was much more than when bFGF or HA was used alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  bFGF can promote the proliferation of chondrocytes. HA, which has no effect on the proliferation of the cells, can maintain a normal growth of chondrocytes. When bFGF is used in combination with HA, more proliferation is obtained.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, Guangzhou 510220, China. Ann8cn@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Si-ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Can-can
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Pei-hong
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Hong-hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011817:Rabbits; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid