Regulation of IGF-1 receptors on rabbit articular chondrocytes by inflammatory mediators

Insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1) is a known stimulator of proteoglycan synthesis in articular cartilage. However, arthritic cartilage shows a reduced responsiveness to IGF-1, resulting in depletion of proteoglycan moieties.A receptor binding assay for IGF-1 was set up in normal articular chondrocytes to determine whether or not growth factors and cytokines found in inflammatory tissues could influence the response of these cells to IGF-1 through modulation of target receptors.