A bovine cartilage explant system was used to evaluate the effects of injurious compression on chondrocyte apoptosis and matrix biochemical and biomechanical properties within intact cartilage. Disks of newborn bovine articular cartilage were compressed in vitro to various peak stress levels and chondrocyte apoptotic cell death, tissue biomechanical properties, tissue swelling, glycosaminoglyca...

INTRODUCTION In ankylosing spondylitis (AS), joint remodeling leading to joint ankylosis involves cartilage fusion. Here, we analyzed whether chondrocyte hypertrophy is involved in cartilage fusion and subsequent joint remodeling in AS. METHODS We assessed the expression of chondrocyte hypertrophy markers runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), type X collagen (COL10), matrix metalloprot...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease characterised by degradation of articular cartilage and bone remodelling. For almost a decade chondrocyte apoptosis has been investigated as a possible mechanism of cartilage damage in OA, but its precise role in initiation and/or progression of OA remains to the determined. The aim of this study is to determine the role of chondrocyte apopto...

Treatment Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089 Nonoperative Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089 Primary Repair Versus Arthroscopic Debridement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089 Microfracture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092 Au...

Tissue engineering-based therapies targeting cartilage diseases, such as osteoarthritis, require in vitro expansion of articular chondrocytes. A major obstacle for these therapies is the dedifferentiation and loss of phenotype accompanying chondrocyte expansion. Recent studies suggest that manipulation of hedgehog signalling may be used to promote chondrocyte re-differentiation. Hedgehog signal...

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a widely used nitric oxide donor, has recently been shown to mediate chondrocyte apoptosis by generating reactive oxygen species, whereas more potent nitric oxide donors do not induce chondrocyte apoptosis. The present study was performed to investigate the protective effect of a low concentration of SNP upon the cytotoxicity of chondrocytes to higher concentrations ...

BACKGROUND Rapamycin is an effective immunosuppressant widely used to maintain the renal allograft in pediatric patients. Linear growth may be adversely affected in young children since rapamycin has potent anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties. METHODS Weanling three week old rats were given rapamycin at 2.5 mg/kg daily by gavage for 2 or 4 weeks and compared to a Control group g...

There is increasing evidence suggesting that chondrocyte death may contribute to the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). This study focused on the characterization of signaling cascade during NO-induced cell death in human OA chondrocytes. The NO generator, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), promoted chondrocyte death in association with DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and down-regulation of ...

Tissue-engineered nasal septal cartilage may provide a source of autologous tissue for repair of craniofacial defects. Although advances have been made in manipulating the chondrocyte culture environment for production of neocartilage, consensus on the best oxygen tension for in vitro growth of tissue-engineered cartilage has not been reached. The objective of this study was to determine whethe...