EFFECTS OF XIMOPROFEN AND ACETYLSALICYLIC-ACID ON HUMAN ARTICULAR CHONDROCYTES IN 3-DIMENSIONAL CULTURE

Different pharmacological concentrations of 2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and ximoprofen (XP), were tested on human chondrocytes cultivated in clusters. DNA synthesis, measured by [H-3]thymidine uptake into DNA, was depressed by ASA at concentrations typical of those found in synovial fluid and plasma after the administration of a single oral dose (500mg). Similarly, proteoglycans, assayed by a specific radioimmunoassay, were depressed in culture medium, whereas type II collagen was not modified. In contrast, XP did not affect these chondroformative processes in chondrocytes. Both NSAIDs were potent inhibitors of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis, XP being more efficient than ASA. These experiments demonstrated that although XP inhibits PGE2 synthesis, it does not depress chondroformative parameters in human cartilage in vitro.