Monocyte Chemotactic Proteins Mediate the Effects of Hyperglycemia in Chondrocytes: In Vitro Studies

Chemokines are secreted by a large variety of cells. They are involved in controlling cell trafficking, maturation, and differentiation. However, the specific responses and effects of chemokines on specific skeletal cell types under high glucose conditions have not been investigated. Chondrocytes play an important role in osteoarthritis and fracture healing. Delayed fracture healing is one of the major health complications caused by diabetes, so the goal of this study was to evaluate the response of several chemokines to high glucose conditions in chondrocyte cells and analyze their role in the catabolic effect of hyperglycemia. ATDC5 chondrocytes were cultured in normal and high glucose media, and mRNA expression levels of several chemokines and chondrocyte differentiation markers were quantified. Bindarit, a specific inhibitor of monocyte chemotactic proteins (MCPs), was used to determine the role of MCPs in mediating the effects of high glucose conditions in chondrocyte cells. High glucose treatment upregulated the expression of three Mcps, as well as the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (Mmp13) and Osteocalcin (Oc). Furthermore, bindarit treatment downregulated Mmp13 and Oc but upregulated Collagen 2 (Col2) mRNA levels in chondrocytes treated with high glucose. Moreover, treatment of chondrocytes with ascorbic acid reduced the effect of high glucose conditions on the expression of chemokines and Mmps. These data together suggest that MCPs mediate the catabolic effect of high glucose in chondrocytes.