Low oxygen tension suppresses the death of chondrocyte-like ATDC5 cells induced by interleukin-1ß

The articular cartilage is an avascular tissue, and oxygen tensions in its superficial and deeper zones are estimated to be 6% and 1%. Degeneration of the articular cartilage begins from the surface zone in osteoarthritis. We previously reported that monocarboxylate transporter-1, a transmembrane transporter for monocarboxylates, played an essential role in the interleukin-1β-induced expression of NADPH oxidase-2, a reactive oxygen species–producing enzyme, and reactive oxygen species–dependent death of mouse chondrogenic ATDC5 cells cultured in a normal condition (20% oxygen). Here, we investigated the effect of oxygen tension on interleukin-1β-induced events described above in ATDC5 cells. Interleukin-1β induced the death of ATDC5 cells under 20% and 6% oxygen but did not under 2% and 1% oxygen. Interleukin-1β induced Mct1 (monocarboxylate transporter-1 gene) and Nox2 (NADPH oxidase-2 gene) mRNAs’ expression under 20% oxygen in 24 h, respectively, but not under 2% oxygen. On the other hand, a 24-h incubation with interleukin-1β upregulated the expression of Nos2 (inducible nitric oxide synthase gene) mRNA irrespective of oxygen tension. Furthermore, inhibition of I-κB kinase suppressed the interleukin-1β-induced expression of Mct1 mRNA in the cells cultured under 20% and 2% oxygen, indicating NF-κB plays an essential role in the induction of the Mct1 gene expression. The results suggest that interleukin-1β induces monocarboxylate transporter-1 in an oxygen tension–dependent manner required for cell death in ATDC5 cells. These results might explain some part of the degenerative process of the articular cartilage, which begins from its superficial zone in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.