Effects of hyaluronic acid and basic fibroblast growth factor on motility of chondrocytes and synovial cells in culture

The capacity of chondrogenic precursor cells to migrate and proliferate in an injured area is considered to be essential for cartilage repair. We examined cell motility of chondrocytes and synovial cells in monolayer culture and the chemokinetic effects of hyaluronic acid (HA) and basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF) on these cells. The velocity of chondrocyte migration was accelerated by giving bFGF and simultaneously administering of both HA and bFGF, but it was not affected by HA alone. The velocity of synovial cell migration was increased by HA, but not by bFGF. HA had a chemokinetic effect on synovial cells and bFGF had the same effect on chondrocytes. Treatment with exogenous HA and bFGF may be of value for repairing articular cartilage injury by recruiting chondrogenic cells and promoting migration of chondrocytes in the cartilage tissue.