INTERACTIONS BETWEEN JELLYFISH MUCIN AN HYALURONAN IN HUMAN CHONDROCYTES
We previously investigated the effects of jellyfish mucin and hyaluronan on degeneration in the knee joints of white rabbits. Here, the effects of jellyfish mucin and hyaluronan were examined in cultured human chondrocytes. We used a freezedried solid extract of jellyfish mucin from jellyfish mucin (from Nomura’s jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai) that had been purified using ion exchange chromatography. Knee articular chondrocytes obtained from operations were isolated enzymatically and cultured with interleukin-1-alpha added when the cells were subconfluent. The cells were transferred to culture medium with or without hyaluronan or jellyfish mucin. The cells were collected at various times, and the gene expression levels of collagen types I and II, SOX9, matrix metalloproteinase-3, and aggrecan were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The concentrations of collagen type II, MMP-3, and transforming growth factor- β(TGFβ)beta secreted into the medium were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Real-time PCR showed that the gene expression levels of collagen type II, SOX9, and aggrecan increased in cells exposed to both jellyfish mucin and hyaluronan. Collagen type I gene expression was reduced by hyaluronan but was not affected by jellyfish mucin. MMP-3 gene expression in the absence of hyaluronan was reduced by jellyfish mucin in a dose-dependent manner. ELISAs showed that the concentration of transforming growth factor ï¢ with or without hyaluronan treatment was increased by jellyfish mucin in a dose-dependent manner, but there was no effect of mucin or hyaluronan on the concentrations of collagen type II or MMP-3. These results suggest that jellyfish mucin and hyaluronan may have beneficial effects on the physiology of cultured human chondrocytes and might contribute to cartilage repair and regeneration