TY - JOUR
T1 - Lubricin reduces cartilage-cartilage integration
AU - Schaefer, Dirk B.
AU - Wendt, David
AU - Moretti, Matteo
AU - Jakob, Marcel
AU - Jay, Gregory D.
AU - Heberer, Michael
AU - Martin, Ivan
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - Cartilage integration in vivo does not occur, such that even cartilage fissures do not heal. This could be due not only to the limited access of chondrocytes to the wound, but also to exogenous factors. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that lubricin, a lubricating protein physiologically present in the synovial fluid, reduces the integrative cartilage repair capacity. Disk/ring composites of bovine articular cartilage were prepared using concentric circular blades and cultured for 6 weeks with or without treatment with 250 μg/ml lubricin applied three times per week. Following culture, the percentage of contact area between the disks and the rings, as assessed by light microscopy, were equal in both groups. The adhesive strength of the integration interface, as assessed by push-out mechanical tests, was markedly and significantly lower in lubricin-treated specimens (2.5 kPa) than in the controls (28.7 kPa). Histological observation of Safranin-O stained cross-sections confirmed the reduced integration in the lubricin treated composites. Our findings suggest that the synovial milieu, by providing lubrication of cartilage surfaces, impairs cartilage-cartilage integration.
AB - Cartilage integration in vivo does not occur, such that even cartilage fissures do not heal. This could be due not only to the limited access of chondrocytes to the wound, but also to exogenous factors. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that lubricin, a lubricating protein physiologically present in the synovial fluid, reduces the integrative cartilage repair capacity. Disk/ring composites of bovine articular cartilage were prepared using concentric circular blades and cultured for 6 weeks with or without treatment with 250 μg/ml lubricin applied three times per week. Following culture, the percentage of contact area between the disks and the rings, as assessed by light microscopy, were equal in both groups. The adhesive strength of the integration interface, as assessed by push-out mechanical tests, was markedly and significantly lower in lubricin-treated specimens (2.5 kPa) than in the controls (28.7 kPa). Histological observation of Safranin-O stained cross-sections confirmed the reduced integration in the lubricin treated composites. Our findings suggest that the synovial milieu, by providing lubrication of cartilage surfaces, impairs cartilage-cartilage integration.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4544285140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=4544285140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 15299281
AN - SCOPUS:4544285140
VL - 41
SP - 503
EP - 508
JO - Biorheology
JF - Biorheology
SN - 0006-355X
IS - 3-4
ER -