Detection of superoxide and NADPH oxidase in porcine articular chondrocytes

Porcine articular chondrocytes have the capacity to release superoxide in response to the addition of the calcium ionophore ionomycin in a concentration-dependent manner. This activity was not stimulated by the addition of fMetLeuPhe or the kinase activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). However, this release of superoxide was inhibited by iodonium diphenyl (IDP), suggesting the involvement of NADPH oxidase. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using oligonucleotides designed against the known sequences for the human phagocyte NADPH oxidase showed the expression of p22-phox, p40-phox, and p47-phox mRNA, while Western blot analysis of chondrocyte extracts using polyclonal antisera raised against the human phagocyte NADPH oxidase suggested the presence of the p67-phox polypeptide. These results suggest that porcine articular chondrocytes can release reactive oxygen species using a NADPH oxidase-like complex.