Stimulation of canine joint cells to model osteoarthritis

Canine chondrocytes and osteoblasts were embedded in an agarose matrix and simultaneously stimulated with cytokines whilst being cyclically compressed. Both cell types were compressed for 4 hours at 1 Hz followed by a 24 hour recovery incubation. The chondrocytes were stimulated with 5 ng/mL of IL8 for the duration of compression, but removed for the recovery phase. Osteoblasts were stimulated with 0.5 ng/mL IL8 and 0.5 ng/mL IL1b for the duration of the compression and for the entirety of the 24 hour incubation step.