Intermittent Negative Hydrostatic Pressure and Chondrocyte Metabolism.
- Author:
Goo Hyun BAEK
;
Jun Kyo SUH
;
Jong Hwa AHN
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Chondrocyte metabolism;
Intermittent negative hydrostatic pressure
- MeSH:
Aggrecans;
Cartilage;
Cartilage, Articular;
Chondrocytes*;
Collagen;
Extracellular Matrix;
Hydrostatic Pressure*;
Metabolism*;
Proteoglycans;
RNA, Messenger
- From:The Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
1998;33(4):1199-1205
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Experimental findings have suggested that the metabolic activities of articular cartilage can be influenced by mechanical stimuli. Our recent mathematical analysis predicted that cyclic compressive loading may create periods of intermittent negative hydrostatic pressure within the cartilage extracellular matrix. Therefore, we hypothesize that intermittent negative hydrostatic pressure, created in the cartilage extracellular matrix during dynamic compression, has a stimulative effect on the biosynthesis of chondrocytes. In order to test this hypothesis, the present study developed a custom designed negative pressure generator to subject a monolayer culture of chondrocytes to an intermittent negative pressure. It was found that the intermittent negative pressure produced a 40% increase in proteoglycan and a l7% increase in non-collagenous protein synthesis during the pressurization period(p (0.05). The collagenous protein synthesis was not affected by the intermittent negative pressure regimen used in this study. After the intermittent negative pressurization, the metabolic activities of the chondrocytes returned to normal(control level). The intermittent negative pressure also produced an increase in the mRNA signals for aggrecan. Therefore, we conclude that intermittent negative pressure may be one of the major mechanical stimulators of chondrocytes in articular cartilage during dynamic compression.
