Fig. 1: mCRP pro-inflammatory effect on human primary osteoarthritis chondrocytes.

Human primary OA chondrocytes in culture were challenged with 10, 25, or 50 µg/ml mCRP, or with 100 ng/ml LPS as positive control for 24 h, after 4 h serum starvation. A Nitric oxide production was evaluated by determining nitrite concentration (µM) in culture medium after 24 h treatment with 10, or 50 µg/ml mCRP, or with 100 ng/ml LPS as positive control using Greiss reaction. B–H (left panels) mRNA expression was determined by RT-qPCR. mRNA levels are presented as fold change relative to control (C−). B–H (middle and right panels) Protein expression was measured by western blot. Data from densitometric analyses normalized to GAPDH are shown as relative-to-control (C−) values. Data expressed as mean ± SEM of at least three independent experiments. Comparisons referred to control (C−): *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. mCRP monomeric C-reactive protein, LPS lipopolysaccharide, NOS2 nitric oxide synthase 2, PTGS2 prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, COX2 cyclooxygenase 2, MMP13 matrix metalloproteinase 13, VCAM1 vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, IL6 interleukin 6, IL8 interleukin 8, LCN2 lipocalin 2, GAPDH glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase.