A comparison of the effects of two gold-containing therapeutic agents on articular chondrocyte growth in vitro

Chondrocyte structure and function under the influence of two gold-containing therapeutic agents, aurothioglucose and triethylphosphine gold, were studied in a monolayer culture system for cultivating lapine articular chondrocytes. The functional parameters investigated were chondrocyte proliferation and the incorporation of 35SO4 as indicator of glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Aurothioglucose (0.2, 1 and 10 micrograms/ml) failed to affect either parameter and caused no cytotoxic effect detectable with the light microscope. Triethylphosphine gold (1.5 and 3 micrograms/ml) prevented subcultured chondrocytes from forming monolayers and was cytotoxic to chondrocytes present in established monolayers, studied with the light and scanning electron microscope. A 0.3 microgram/ml concentration did not alter chondrocyte proliferation or sulphate incorporation and was not cytotoxic.