Preliminary experience with cell culture of human articular chondrocytes

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Abstract
Articular Chondrocytes from 14 human amputation specimens were grown in monolayer culture. The joint cartilages appeared normal grossly. The ages of the patients ranged from 13 to 62 years. The cells grew slowly and did not thrive in subculture. Vitamin C increased DNA synthesis by the Chondrocytes but decreased incorporation of radiosulfate into mucopolysaccharides. Whole articular cartilage from a 30 year old man showed a great heterogeneity of mucopolysaccharides. In addition to the expected chondroitin sulfates 4 and 6 and keratan sulfate, appreciable quantities of hyaluronate, chondroitin, disulfated chondroitin and dermatan sulfate were found (4.0%, 1.5%, 25.5% and 1.3% of the total mucopolysaccharides respectively). The same compounds were secreted into the medium by the cultured Chondrocytes but in distorted proportions. These and other findings differ greatly from those obtained with rabbit Chondrocytes which grow readily under the same conditions and recapitulate quite faithfully the mucopolysaccharide synthesis occurring in whole cartilage.

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