In the process of chondrocytes development and maturation, the chondrocyte displayed great morphological and biochemical change under the control of kinds of growth factors and changeable environments, such as mechanical stress, or cell density changes. This change of characteristic chondrocytes is controlled by specified signaling pathways, and the autocrine and parocrine factors are playing an important role in the promotion of chondrogenesis. At present, the autocrine and parocrine familys are divided into following types, including the transforming growth factor ? family, fibroblast growth factor family, Hedgehog family, and Wingless family. However, the gene expression is not decided by the only one pathway, but the results of the cooperation of various signals. Therefore, the relationship between the pathways is going to be found and confirmed. To identify the effect of the each factor during the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes may direct the development of tissue-engineered cartilage.

Objective: To study the optimum process of Ganmao Capsules(Rhizoma Coptidis, Herba Ephedrae, etc.). Methods : The extraction of Rhizoma Coptidis and Herba Ephedrae compared with Rhizoma Coptidis according to amount of berberine. The orthogonal design was used to select the optimum extraction according to amounts of berberine and ephedrine. Results : The extraction of Rhizoma Coptidis was better than that mixed Rhizoma Coptidis and Herba Ephedrae. Taking water as solvent, Rhizoma Coptidis was macerated for 0.5h and extracted in sequence three times with 12, 10 and 10 times volume of water extraction time for 1.5h, 1.0h and 1.0h, respectively. And Herba Ephedrae was macerated for 0.5h and extracted in sequence three times with 10, 8 and 8 times volume of water extraction time for 1.5h, 1.0h and 1.0h. Conclusion : The experimental results provided the basis for the ascertainment of extraction process of Rhizoma Coptidis and Herba Ephedrae preparation.