THE USE OF A NON-IONIC SURFACTANT (P188) TO SAVE CHONDROCYTES

FROM NECROSIS FOLLOWING IMPACT LOADING OF CHONDRAL EXPLANT

 

Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 22:1135-1142,2004

Daniel M. Phillips and Roger C. Haut

 

Abstract:

            While current injury criteria for the automotive industry are based on bone fracture, the majority of knee injuries suffered during automobile collisions each year do not involve fracture of bone.  Furthermore, clinical studies often document early joint pain and the development of a chronic disease, such as osteoarthritis, in traumatized joints without fracture of bone.  Various studies from the literature suggest this chronic disease can be initiated by the death of cells in articular cartilage due to mechanical trauma, but the literature is yet unclear on the pathway of cell death.  Earlier studies by this laboratory, using viability stains, indicate that mechanical loads applied to chondral explants can damage the cell membranes of chondrocytes.  In the current investigation use of a non-ionic surfactant (P188), was explored as a potential tool for early intervention to repair damaged cell membranes in cartilage after blunt trauma.  Adult bovine chondral explants were loaded with a peak pressure of 30 MPa in unconfined compression.  The addition of a surfactant, P188, to the culture media immediately post-impact reduced the percentage of cell death in the explants by approximately 50% at both 1 and 24 hours.  The current study confirmed earlier data with other cell lines that show the ability of P188 to repair the integrity of damaged cell membranes after mechanical trauma.  With the capability of P188 to repair cell membranes and prevent early necrotic death, its role in prevention of a post-traumatic osteoarthrosis should be explored in studies using an in vivo animal model.  

 

Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratories,

 College of Osteopathic Medicine,

 Michigan State University,

 East Lansing, Michigan 48824

 

Please address correspondence to:

 

Roger C. Haut, Ph.D.,

 Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory,

 College of Osteopathic Medicine,

 A414 East Fee Hall,

 Michigan State University,

 East Lansing, MI 48824,

Tel:  (517)355-0320,

 Fax:  (517)353-0789,

  E-mail:  haut@msu.edu