Rabbit articular chondrocytes in soft agar are useful to test the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on chondrocyte replication.

The effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on rabbit articular chondrocyte proliferation was examined in soft agar and in conventional cultures on plastic dishes. Indomethacin, acetylsalicylate, and naproxen (10(-4) M) decreased the efficiency of colony formation by chondrocytes in soft agar in the presence of fibroblast growth factor, although the drugs had little effect on the proliferation of chondrocytes on plastic dishes. On the other hand, tiaprofenic acid (10(-4) M) did not have any adverse effect on chondrocyte replication in either culture the two systems. Rabbit articular chondrocyte growth in soft agar will be a useful test system for examining the effects of anti-arthritic drugs on cartilage metabolism and repair.