1. The in vitro effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on human osteoarthritic chondrocytes 
H Jo, M.D., J.S Park, Ph.D., E.M Kim, M.S., M.Y Jung, Ph.D., S.H Lee, M.D., S.C Seong, M.D., S.C Park, M.D., H.J Kim, M.D., M.C Lee, M.D. 
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 
Volume 11, Issue 8, Pages (August 2003)
DOI: /S (03)

2. Fig. 1
The effect of DHEA on chondrocyte proliferation as determined by the MTS assay. Five thousand chondrocytes were initially plated in each well of a 96-well plate and treated with DHEA at 0, 10, 50, and 100μM. On days 1, 3, and 7, the number of viable cells was measured by MTS assay. Experiments were performed in triplicate. Chondrocytes actively proliferated during culture, but no significant differences in viable cell numbers were observed at the different concentrations.
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

3. Fig. 2
The effect of DHEA on GAG synthesis as determined by the DMB assay. (A) Total GAG, (B) GAG in media, (C) GAG in FRM, (D) GAG in CM. Chondrocytes in alginate beads were treated with DHEA at 0, 10, 50, and 100μM. On days 1, 3, and 7, the alginate beads were dissolved, and the total amount of GAG was determined by measuring the amount in media, supernatants, and pellets, and by summing them. (A) Total amount of GAG increased over the culture period of 7 days, but no significant difference was observed between the different concentrations or during the culture period. (B–D) In media, there was only small amount of GAG release from beads and it tended to increase over time. GAG amount in CM increased most prominently over the culture period in all beads at all concentrations, while that in FRM, it increased slightly.
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

4. Fig. 3
The effects of DHEA on the gene expressions of type I and II collagen measured by RT-PCR. Chondrocytes in alginate beads were treated with DHEA at 0, 10, 50, and 100μM for 3 days. Experiments were performed in triplicate and the bands shown represent typical results. Type I collagen gene expression was suppressed and type II collagen gene expression increased on increasing the DHEA concentration: ∗statistical significance in type I collagen expression (P<0.05), ∗∗statistical significance in type II collagen expression(P<0.05).
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

5. Fig. 4
The effects of DHEA on the gene expressions of MMP-1, -3, and TIMP-1 as determined by RT-PCR. Chondrocytes in alginate beads were treated with DHEA at 0, 10, 50, and 100μM for 3 days. Experiments were performed in triplicate and the bands shown represent typical results. The gene expression of MMP-1 was significantly reduced at DHEA concentrations of 50 and 100μM. The gene expression of MMP-3 was also reduced, but no statistical significance was found. The gene expression of TIMP-1 was elevated at DHEA concentration of 10μM: ∗statistical significance in MMP-1 expression (P<0.05), ∗∗statistical significance in TIMP-1 expression (P<0.05).
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

6. Fig. 5
The effects of DHEA on the gene expressions of MMP-1 and -3 in the presence of IL-1β measured by RT-PCR. Chondrocytes in alginate beads were treated with DHEA at 0, 10, 50 and 100μM in the presence of 1000pg/ml of IL-1β for 3 days. Experiments were performed in triplicate and the bands shown represent typical results. DHEA treatment suppressed the gene expressions of MMP-1 and -3 more so in the presence of IL-1β: ∗statistical significance in MMP-1 expression (P<0.05), ∗∗statistical significance in MMP-3 expression(P<0.05).
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

7. Fig. 6
The effects of DHEA on the protein syntheses of MMP-1, -3, and TIMP-1, as determined by Western blotting. Chondrocytes in alginate beads were treated with DHEA at 0, 10, and 100μM for 3 days. Experiments were performed in triplicate and the bands shown represent typical results. The protein syntheses of MMP-1, -3, and TIMP-1 correlated with their gene expressions, indicating that DHEA acts at the transcription level.
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  , DOI: ( /S (03) )