Effects of hormones and local growth factors on articular chondrocyte metabolism.

Human chondrocyte proliferation and production of matrix components such as proteoglycans and type II collagen (coll. II) were studied in an in vitro model of differentiated chondrocytes. It clearly appears that several hormones such as growth hormone, calcitonin, androgens and parahormones such as insulin like growth factor I and epidermal growth factor stimulate chondrocyte proliferation and coll. II and proteoglycan synthesis. These hormones and parahormones have no effect on either prostaglandin production or release and activation of collagenase. From our investigations in vitro, articular chondrocytes are target cells for hormones and local factors mainly responsible of chondroformation.