The Acute Effects of Intra-Articular Hydrocortisone on Articular Cartilage in Rabbits

¹ From the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh

This study demonstrates the effect of intra-articularly administered hydrocortisone acetate in doses of 0.16 and 1.6 milligrams per kilogram on the incorporation of glycine-H³ into articular cartilage of rabbits. The steroid was injected into one knee joint and, at intervals up to twety-four days, the cartilage from both treated knees and controls was assayed for incorporation of glycine-H³ administered intra-articularly one hour before killing. In addition, serum 11-hydroxycorticoid concenrations were measured fluorometrically for each time interval.

From the data obtained, it was concluded that cortisol causes a rapid and profound decrease in glycine-H³ utilization, to approximately one-third of control values by six hours. Recovery is slow, occurring by three days for the lower dose and requiring almost two weeks for the larger doses.

The significance of these observations is discussed and it is concluded that glycine-H³ incorporation can be equated with protein synthesis and that cortisol causes a decrease in matrix synthesis during the period of its effect. The possible significance of this biochemical lesion is discussed.

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