Proteoglycan biosynthesis by rabbit articular chondrocytes treated with D-penicillamine.

Rabbit articular chondrocytes in confluent monolayer cultures were treated with D-Penicillamine (D-Pen) during 3 or 5 days. The [35S]-sulfate incorporation in neosynthesized proteoglycans was not modified by D-Pen doses ranging from 50 to 800 micrograms/ml. After treatment during 5 days with D-Pen concentrations of 50 or 400 micrograms/ml, the chemical characteristics of proteoglycans from medium and cell-layer were determined. The aggregation capacity of proteoglycans from medium, the monomer molecular size, the glycosaminoglycan chain length and the relative rates of the different glycosaminoglycans (chondroitins, chondroitin 6-sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, hyaluronic acid) remained unchanged. These results suggest that D-Pen does not alter some of the cartilage mechanical properties due to the presence of proteoglycans.