HYALURONIC-ACID INCREASES PROTEOGLYCAN SYNTHESIS IN BOVINE ARTICULAR-CARTILAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF INTERLEUKIN-1

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder in humans. Although intra-ar ticular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) is in widespread clinical us e, there are limited data on the effect of HA on degenerated cartilage . When bovine articular cartilage is degraded with interleukin-1, HA p enetrates the cartilage and accumulates in the pericellular matrix of chondrocytes. HA also enhances proteoglycan synthesis that has been re duced by interleukin-1. Thus HA seems to have anabolic effects on degr aded cartilage.