Oxygen consumption of equine articular chondrocytes: Influence of applied oxygen tension and glucose concentration during culture

We investigated the oxygen (O2) uptake of equine articular chondrocytes to assess their reactions to anoxia/re-oxygenation. They were cultured under 5% or 21% gas phase O2 and at glucose concentrations of 0, 1.0 or 4.5 g/L in the culture medium (n = 3). Afterwards, the O2 consumption rate of the chondrocytes was monitored (oxymetry) before and after an anoxia period of 25 min. The glucose consumption and lactate release were measured at the end of the re-oxygenation period. The chondrocytes showed a minimal O2 consumption rate, which was hardly changed by anoxia. Independently from the O2 tension, glucose uptake by the cells was about 30% of the available culture medium glucose, thus higher for cells at 4.5 g/L glucose (n = 3). Lactate release was also independent from O2 tension, but lower for cells at 4.5 g/L glucose (n = 3). Our observations indicated that O2 consumption by equine chondrocytes was very low despite a functional mitochondrial respiratory chain, and nearly insensitive to anoxia/re-oxygenation. But the chondrocytes metabolism was modified by an excess of O2 and glucose.