Studies of cold preservation of allograft cartilage for transplantation: Anabolic suppression of chondrocytes

Chondrocytes in cartilage prepared from cold preserved osteochondral allograft (OCA) tissue are metabolically suppressed as shown by decrease in proteoglycan (PG) synthesis. The goal of this study was to address this metabolic suppression by defining ways of preventing or reversing it. In this study, we explained the roles of warming protocols and nitric oxide (NO) in this process. Cold preserved bovine and canine articular cartilage specimen were subjected to abrupt and gradual warming protocols to assess the production of NO and PG synthesis. NO was shown to be negatively correlated with PG synthesis. Gradual warming significantly decreased NO and increased PG synthesis. Inhibiting NO activity by chemical means also led to an increase in PG synthesis and cell survival. Data from this study suggest that preserving metabolic suppression of chondrocytes by preventing NO activity via gradual warming or chemicals would benefit OCA engraftment and integration to the host tissue.