Glucosamine sulfate modulates dysregulated activities of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in vitro

• Published in: Osteoarthritis and cartilage Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 207 - 212
• Main Authors: Piperno, M, Reboul, P, Hellio Le Graverand, M.P, Peschard, M.J, Annefeld, M, Richard, M, Vignon, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Caseins - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Chondrocytes - drug effects; Collagenases - drug effects; Culture Media; Cyclic AMP - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glucosamine - pharmacology; Humans; Life Sciences; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Osteoarthritis - metabolism; Osteoarthritis, Articular cartilage, Chondrocytes, Collagenase, Phospholipase A2, Protein kinase C, Glucosamine sulfate; Phospholipases A - drug effects; Phospholipases A2; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Kinase C - drug effects; Osteoarthritis, Articular cartilage, Chondrocytes, Collagenase, Phospholipase A2, Protein kinase C, Glucosamine sulfate; Protein kinase C; Phospholipase A2; Articular cartilage; Chondrocytes; Glucosamine sulfate; Collagenase; Osteoarthritis
• ISSN: 1063-4584; 1522-9653
• DOI: 10.1053/joca.1999.0291

Objective The efficacy of glucosamine sulfate (GS) in the symptomatic treatment of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) is suggested to be mediated by still unknown effects on the altered OA cartilage.
Design Using human OA chondrocytes in culture, the effects of GS on protein synthesis, caseinase, collagenase, phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and protein kinase C (PKC) activities as well as production of nitric oxide and cyclic AMP were studied in both cells and culture medium.
Results GS significantly reduced PLA2 activity, and more modestly collagenase activity, in the OA chondrocytes in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, PLA2 and collagenase activity of the culture medium was not modified. No effects on caseinase activity was seen. GS significantly and dose-dependently increased protein synthesis. GS did not modify nitric oxide and cAMP production but significantly increased PKC production.
Conclusion GS modified cultured OA chondrocyte metabolism by acting on PKC, cellular PLA2, protein synthesis and possibly collagenase activation. Extrapolation of the effect to the in-vivo situation remains hypothetical but they might represent some possible mechanisms of action of the drug in human.