Hyaluronic acid inhibited the upregulation of heat shock protein 70 in human chondrocytes from osteoarthritis and Kashin-Beck disease

This study aimed to investigate the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in chondrocytes isolated from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and Kashin-Beck disease (KBD). The chondrocytes were collected from OA and KBD patients, and chondrocytes isolated from patients of accident injuries were used as the control. The chondrocytes were treated with HA at different doses. HSP70 expression in chondrocytes at both mRNA and protein levels was tested by PCR and Western blot analysis. Compared with control, both mRNA and protein levels of HSP70 were higher in chondrocytes from KBD and OA. However, HA at the dose of 500 mu g/mL significantly inhibited HSP70 expression levels in both KBD and OA groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HSP70 is highly expressed in chondrocytes of patients of OA and KBD. HA intervention inhibits the upregulation of HSP70 in chondrocytes of OA and KBD patients and could be a promising agent for treatment of OA and KBD.