INCREASE OF DECORIN CONTENT IN ARTICULAR-CARTILAGE FOLLOWING RUNNING

The effect of long distance running exercise (40 km/day for 15 weeks, five days a week) on the decorin content of articular cartilage from t he knee joint was studied in female beagle dogs. Samples from load bea ring sites on the lateral plateau of the tibia (TL), and pooled materi al from two minimum load bearing sites on the posterior section of lat eral (FLP) and medial (FMP) femoral condyles were analyzed. The runnin g exercise protocol did not lead to significant changes in the overall glycosaminoglycan content of the cartilage. However, the amount of de corin significantly increased in the TL samples, and also in the FMP p ool. These results support earlier in vitro observations that decorin synthesis is stimulated by loading, independent of the synthesis of ag grecan.