Effects of hypoxia on the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix in equine cartilage and chondrocyte cultures

摘要

Introduction As in most species, the joints of the horse are susceptible to osteoarthritis and other joint diseases where cartilage loses its balance of synthesis and degradation of matrix . In the adult animal, articular cartilage is avascular and oxygen is delivered by diffusion process from blood vessels of the underlying bone and from synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint . Because of this limitation, compared with other tissues, cartilage is permanently under hypoxic conditions . However, in most in vitro studies of cartilage pathology, chondrocytes have been usually cultured in 20% oxygen, which does not represent their physiological environment. The investigation of matrix degradation and matrix synthesis at various oxygen tensions will aid our understanding of normal physiology of equine chondrocytes and how they may be compromised to cause the pathophysiology of joint disease.