Age-related decrease in the link-stability of proteoglycan aggregates formed by articular chondrocytes

Abstract

Chondrocytes were isolated from the articular cartilage of rabbits aged between 6 and 50 wk and labeled with [35S]sulfate after 48 h in monolayer culture. The percentage of the total proteoglycan monomers synthesized by each culture that were present as link-stabilized aggregates was shown to be about 83% at 6, 9 and 12 wk, 73% at 15 wk, 48% at 30 wk and 32% at 50 wk. The proliferative activity of the cells in culture also decreased markedly with the age of the donor. Aging of chondrocytes in vivo is accompanied by a decrease in their capacity for link-protein synthesis.