A novel synthesized sulfonamido-based gallic acid – LDQN-C: Effects on chondrocytes growth and phenotype maintenance

•A novel compound LDQN-C was synthesized from Sulfachloropyrazine sodium and gallic acid.•LDQN-C can exert chondro-protective effects.•LDQN-C showed better chondro-protective and pharmacological effects than its source GA.

Chondrocyte based therapy is promising to treat symptomatic chondral and osteochondral lesions. Growth factors to accelerate the proliferation and retain the phenotype of chondrocytes in vitro are imperative. However, the high cost and rapid degradation of growth factors limited their further application. Therefore, it is significant to find substitutes that can preserve chondrocytes phenotype and ensure sufficient cells for cytotherapy. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents or their derivatives that have effect on arthritis may be an alternative. In this study, we synthesized sulfonamido-based gallate – LDQN-C and investigated its effect on rat articular chondrocytes through examination of the cell proliferation, morphology, viability, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) synthesis and cartilage specific gene expression. Results showed that LDQN-C could enhance secretion and synthesis of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) by up-regulating expression levels of aggrecan, collagen II and Sox9 genes compared to the GA treated group and control group. Expression of collagen type II was effectively up-regulated while collagen I was down-regulated, which demonstrated that the inhibition of chondrocytes dedifferentiation by LDQN-C. Range of 1.36 × 10−9 M to 1.36 × 10−7 M is recommended dose of LDQN-C, among which the most profound response was observed with 1.36 × 10−8 M. GA at concentration of 0.125 μg/mL was compared. This study might provide a basis for the development of a novel agent for the treatment of articular cartilage defect.

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