A Comparative Study on the Effects of Methylprednisolone Concentration on Human Chondrocyte Cell Metabolism in vitro

Introduction: Osteoarthritis of the knee has been the most common form of arthritis encountered by clinicians today. Conservative modalities such as non steroidal anti inflammatory medications and intra articular corticosteroid have been employed to ameliorate the symptoms and delay total knee arthroplasty. In the past Corticosteroids have had an important role to play for decades in effective, economic and symptomatic relief in arthritis, but it may mask its true impact on the joint. The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of the concentration of methyl prednisolone on chondrocyte cell count, viability and CD44+ expression. Materials & Methods: Three cartilage bone plugs were harvested from three patients suffering from osteoarthritis scheduled for total knee arthroplasty. Chondrocytes were isolated and cultured to passage one and three samples from passage one cultured to passage two. Flasks were seeded with 1 uM/ml, 10 uM/ml & 100 uM/ml of methyl prednisolone against control. Cells were harvested on day 14 of culture and assessed for cell viability, count and CD 44+ expression. Statistical analysis was done with ANOVA test and post hoc test, a P value of 0.05 was taken to be significant. Result: Cell count in the both passage 1 and 2 cultures decreased with increasing methylprednisolone concentration. The decrease in cell count in passage 2 was noted to be significant (P=0.013). Cell viability reduced in both passage with increased concentration of methylprednisolone with the decrease in passage 2 being significant (P=0.011). CD44+ expression decreased with increasing methyl prednisolone concentration in both passages, but the reduction was not significant. Conclusion: Methyl prednisolone has a dose dependent negative effect on chondrocyte cell viability, count and CD44+ expression. Hence may not be an ideal drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis knee.