Fibroblast-like synoviocyte-chondrocyte interaction in cartilage degradation.
OBJECTIVE
In vitro models for joint diseases often focus on a single cell type, such as chondrocytes in osteoarthritis (OA) or fibroblast-like synoviocytes (synoviocytes) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, these joint diseases affect the whole joint and interaction between chondrocytes and synoviocytes may play an important role in disease pathology. The current study was designed to study the use of the alginate recovered chondrocyte method as a model for cartilage degradation and to study interaction between chondrocytes and synoviocytes.


METHODS
Bovine chondrocytes were cultured in alginate beads for 1 week, subsequently chondrons were retrieved and seeded into transwells. Every two days cartilage-slices were analysed for proteoglycan content (colorimetric, Blyscan GAG kit), collagen content (HPLC) and collagen HP and LP crosslinking (HPLC). For degradation experiments, monocultures of cartilage-slices labelled with (35)S and cocultures with synoviocytes were stimulated with IL-1beta or TNF-alpha. After 7 days, (35)S release was measured taken as a measure of cartilage degradation.


RESULTS
After biochemical analysis, three week old cartilage-like slices were chosen to perform cartilage-degradation experiments. Synoviocytes were able to induce cartilage degradation only in the presence of living chondrocytes. In addition, the cytokines interleukin 1 (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) were only able to induce cartilage degradation by chondrocytes, not by synoviocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that the alginate recovered chondrocyte method provides a novel model for cartilage degradation in which the interaction between synoviocytes and chondrocytes can be studied.
Steenvoorden
M M C
MM
Bio Sciences, TNO Quality of Life, Leiden, The Netherland.
Bank
R A
RA
Ronday
H K
HK
Toes
R E M
RE
Huizinga
T W J
TW
DeGroot
J
J
D000464:Alginates / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002356:Cartilage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002417:Cattle; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D011509:Proteoglycans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D003094:Collagen