Metalloproteinase production by rabbit articular cartilage: comparison of the effects of interleukin-1 alpha in vitro and in vivo.

To assess the effects of interleukin-1 on intact To assess the effects of interleukin-1 on intact articular cartilage in vitro, explants from young and adult rabbits were cultured with interleukin-1 and the distributions of the matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) were investigated by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. One to 2-week-old cartilage chondrocytes synthesized collagenase in response to pure or crude interleukin-1 (monocyte conditioned medium), with subarticular cells most responsive. Collagenase synthesis was not stimulated in adult articular chondrocytes when explants were treated with either pure or crude interleukin-1. Stromelysin, gelatinase and TIMP-1 could not be demonstrated within any zone of the cartilage, indicating that their synthesis was not stimulated by either pure or crude interleukin-1. The addition of fibroblast growth factors, either alone or in combination with interleukin-1, did not modify these responses. These results contrast markedly with observations on cultured chondrocyte monolayers, where interleukin-1 treatment induces near co-ordinate expression of metalloproteinases. To assess the effects of interleukin-1 in vivo, it was injected into adult rabbit knee joint spaces and the articular cartilage subsequently analysed for evidence of altered metalloproteinase production by immunocytochemistry. No significant increase in metalloproteinase or TIMP-1 synthesis by chondrocytes was detected, although the cartilage matrix showed a marked loss of toluidine blue metachromasia. We conclude that metalloproteinases are not involved in the rapid loss of proteoglycan from cartilage matrix in these situations.