ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the eff ect of icaritin on proliferation and apoptosis in rat chondrocytes and to provide new theory for osteochondropathy treatment.@*METHODS@#Icaritin (with a purity of 99%) at different concentrations (0, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 μmol/L) was incubated with rat chondrocytes for different time. The cell proliferation and apoptosis was assayed by MTT and fl ow cytometry, respectively.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the cell proliferation was increased in the groups with icaritin at 4 or 8 μmol/L (P<0.05), whereas the proliferation was decreased in the groups with icaritin at 16, 32 or 64 μmol/L groups compared to the control group (P<0.05); the cell apoptosis ratio in the group with icaritin at 4 μmol/L was obviously lower than that in the control group aft er incubation of icaritin for 24 h and 48 h. Beyond 4 μmol/L, the higher concentration of icaritin, the higher apoptosis ratio of cell. However, it did not show a time-dependent manner at a same concentration of icaritin.@*CONCLUSION@#The icaritin at low concentration (4 or 8 μmol/L) can promote rat chondrocyte proliferation and inhibit cell apoptosis, while the effect of icaritin on rat chondrocyte at high concentration was reversed.