Effect of Lesion Size on the Metabolic Activity of Tibial Dyschondroplastic Chondrocytes

Experiments were conducted to determine the influence of lesion size and method of producing tibial dyschondroplasia on metabolic activity of cultured chondrocytes. Genetic selection was one method used to produce a high incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. Chondrocytes obtained from severe lesions exhibited reduced mitogenic activity (3H-thymidine incorporation) and ability to synthesize matrix proteoglycans (35SO4 incorporation) when compared with normal growth plate and smaller lesions. When a commercial broiler strain was used, all chondrocytes isolated from lesions induced by feeding thiram had reduced metabolic activity. Similar results were observed with severe lesions obtained from copper-deficient chicks. It is concluded that lesion size is an important factor in determining subsequent metabolic activity of chondrocytes isolated from tibial dyschondroplastic lesions.