Mechanical trauma to articular cartilage is a known risk factor for Osteoarthritis (OA). The application of single impact load (SIL) to equine articular cartilage is described as a model of early OA changes and shown to induce a damage/repair response. Recombinant Human Fibroblast Growth Factor-18 (rhFGF-18) has been previously shown to have anabolic effects on chondrocytes in vitro. The aim of this in vitro study was to ascertain the effect of rhFGF-18 on the repair response of mechanically damaged articular cartilage. Articular cartilage discs were harvested from healthy mature horses (n=4) and subjected to single impact load using a drop tower device. The impacted explants, together with unimpacted controls were cultured in modified DMEM +/− 200ng/ml rhFGF-18 for up to 30 days. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release into the media was measured using the dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay, aggrecan neopepitope CS846 and Collagen Propeptide II (CPII) were measured by ELISA. Histological analysis, immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining were used to assess proteoglycan content, type II and type VI collagen localisation, cell morphology, repair cell number and cell death.Background
Methods
