Chondrocytes and antirheumatic drugs.

Effects of antirheumatic drugs upon cartilage matrix metabolism have been studied in a variety of chondrocyte in vitro systems. When compared longterm in 60 experiments under standardized conditions, articular chondrocytes cultured in agarose exhibit variability in proteoglycan synthesis, and its suppression by interleukin 1 (IL-1), but a high reproducibility in the modulation of these effects by antirheumatic drugs. Pentosan polysulfate, tenidap, tiaprofenic acid, and RO 31-9790 all compensated to a certain extent the IL-1 induced suppression of matrix synthesis in bovine chondrocytes, but only for tiaprofenic acid could this be confirmed using chondrocytes of human origin. Culture conditions as well as species differences should therefore be considered carefully when chondrocyte cultures are used as pharmacological models.