A tissue culture model of cartilage breakdown in rheumatoid arthritis. III. Effects of antirheumatic drugs.

The effects of hydrocortisone, indomethacin, and gold thiomalate on proteoglycan release were assessed in bovine nasal cartilage-rheumatoid synovium cocultures. Of the three agents, only hydrocortisone consistently inhibited both basal and synovium-stimulated cartilage breakdown. Hydrocortisone responsivity was a direct function of the degradative capacity of synovial specimens, and this was equally well demonstrated both in patients receiving long-term therapy and those given perioperative glucocorticoid therapy. The data are consistent with significant hydrocortisone inhibition of lysosomal enzyme-mediated degradation of cartilage.