Effects of Zinc Combined with Probiotics on Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea Secondary to Childhood Pneumonia.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of zinc combined with probiotics (Bifico) on antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) secondary to pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with AAD secondary to pneumonia were randomly divided into a probiotics group (Bifico) and a combined group (zinc combined with Bifico) and 25 pneumonia patients without AAD as the control group. Serum levels of zinc, diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, D-lactate and intestinal flora [Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli and Bifidobacterium/E. coli (B/E) ratio] were detected before and after intervention. RESULTS: The results showed that zinc combined with Bifico had significantly higher overall efficiency than Bifico alone for treatment of AAD secondary to pneumonia. Notably, the combined treatment increased the population of Bifidobacterium, while the number of E. coli was reduced, the B/E value was improved and DAO activity and D-lactate levels were markedly reduced. CONCLUSION: Patients with AAD secondary to pneumonia benefit from zinc supplementation of probiotic treatment.

Collagen, agarose, alginate, and Matrigel hydrogels as cell substrates for culture of chondrocytes in vitro: A comparative study.

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has emerged as a new approach to cartilage repair through the use of harvested chondrocytes. But the expansion of the chondrocytes from the donor tissue in vitro is restricted by limited cell numbers and dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. In this study, we used four types of hydrogels including agarose, alginate, Matrigel, and collagen type I hydrogels to serve as cell substrates and investigated the effect on proliferation and phenotype maintenance of chondrocytes. As a substrate for monolayer culture, collagen facilitated cell expansion and effectively suppressed the dedifferentiation of chondrocytes, as evidenced by fluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide (FDA/PI), hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE), Safranin O, immunofluorescenceassay, biochemistry analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Compared with that in agarose gels, alginate, and Matrigel, collagen accelerated cell proliferation and enhanced the expression of cartilage specific genes such as ACAN, SOX9, and COLII more markedly. Furthermore, significantly lower expression of COL I (an indicator of dedifferentiation) and COL X (the chondrocyte hypertrophy marker) was present in collagen group than in other groups. This indicated that collagen substrate can better support chondrocyte growth and maintain cell phenotype, due to that it might serve as a cartilage-like ECM to provide adhesive site for chondrocytes. In summary, collagen hydrogel is a promising cell substrate for chondrocytes culture for ACI.

A Human Chondrocyte-Derived In Vitro Model of Alcohol-Induced and Steroid-Induced Femoral Head Necrosis.

BACKGROUND Worldwide, femoral head necrosis (FHN), which is also known as avascular necrosis of the femoral head or osteonecrosis of the femoral head, affects millions of people. Excess alcohol intake and steroid use are two common associations with FHN, but their pathogenesis remains unknown. The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro model using human chondrocytes to study alcohol-induced and steroid-induced FHN. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, the in vitro model used a monolayer culture of articular chondrocytes derived from patients with non-traumatic FHN (Ficat and Arlet, Stage III). Normal chondrocytes were obtained from patients with femoral neck fracture resulting from road traffic accident (Garden, Stage IV). Alcohol-stimulated and steroid-stimulated articular chondrocytes were evaluated by a cell proliferation assay, measurement of calcium levels (alizarin red), measurement of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, detection of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) secretion using safranin O histochemical staining, and analysis of cartilage-specific genes, ACAN, SOX9, OPG, TGF-ß, RANKL, and RUNX2, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS Both alcohol and steroids, but especially steroids, accelerated the degradation of cartilage by suppression of chondrogenesis while promoting chondrocyte hypertrophy and activating osteogenic differentiation, as assessed by cell proliferation assay, detection of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) secretion, and analysis of cartilage-specific genes. CONCLUSIONS A human chondrocyte-derived in vitro model of alcohol-induced and steroid-induced FHN demonstrated chondrocyte hypertrophy and activated osteogenic differentiation.

Serum quantitative proteomic analysis reveals potential zinc-associated biomarkers for nonbacterial prostatitis.

BACKGROUND: Prostatitis is one of the most common urological problems afflicting adult men. The etiology and pathogenesis of nonbacterial prostatitis, which accounts for 90-95% of cases, is largely unknown. As serum proteins often indicate the overall pathologic status of patients, we hypothesized that protein biomarkers of prostatitis might be identified by comparing the serum proteomes of patients with and without nonbacterial prostatitis. METHODS: All untreated samples were collected from subjects attending the Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination Survey (FAMHES). We profiled pooled serum samples from four carefully selected groups of patients (n = 10/group) representing the various categories of nonbacterial prostatitis (IIIa, IIIb, and IV) and matched healthy controls using a mass spectrometry-based 4-plex iTRAQ proteomic approach. More than 160 samples were validated by ELISA. RESULTS: Overall, 69 proteins were identified. Among them, 42, 52, and 37 proteins were identified with differential expression in Category IIIa, IIIb, and IV prostatitis, respectively. The 19 common proteins were related to immunity and defense, ion binding, transport, and proteolysis. Two zinc-binding proteins, superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), and carbonic anhydrase I (CA1), were significantly higher in all types of prostatitis than in the control. A receiver operating characteristic curve estimated sensitivities of 50.4 and 68.1% and specificities of 92.1 and 83.8% for CA1 and SOD3, respectively, in detecting nonbacterial prostatitis. The serum CA1 concentration was inversely correlated to the zinc concentration in expressed-prostatic secretions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that SOD3 and CA1 are potential diagnostic markers of nonbacterial prostatitis, although further large-scale studies are required. The molecular profiles of nonbacterial prostatitis pathogenesis may lay a foundation for discovery of new therapies.

Effects of dietary melatonin supplementation on growth performance and intestinal health of rice field eel (Monopterus albus).

The objective was to assess the impact of melatonin supplementation on the growth performance and intestinal health of rice field eel, Monopterus albus. Three hundred and sixty fish (28.46 ± 0.24 g) were fed five diets supplemented with melatonin of 0, 30, 60, 120, and 240 mg/kg for 70 days. The study found that the variables FBW, WGR, SGR, and FCR exhibited a statistically significant quadratic relationship (P < 0.05) with the dietary melatonin concentrations, and the highest FBW, WGR and SGR as well as lowest FCR were observed in the 120 mg/kg melatonin group, digestive enzymes activities (such as amylase, trypsin, and lipase) also had significant quadratic relationship (P < 0.05), and the highest intestinal villus height and goblet cells were found in the 120 mg/kg diet (P < 0.01), melatonin in diets significantly increased SOD and CAT activities in serum, up-regulated the expression of anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10) and tight junction protein (ZO-1), and down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-15, and TNF-α) in the gut, dietary melatonin improved the intestinal microflora compositions, in the group that supplementation a dosage of 120 mg/kg, there was a noticeable rise in the abundance of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidota, compared with control group (P < 0.1). Conclusively, dietary supplementation of melatonin promoted growth performance, enhanced intestinal immune capacity and serum antioxidant level, and improved intestinal morphology properties and intestinal flora composition in M. albus. In conclusion, based on quadratic broken-line regression analysis of WGR and FCR, the optimal concentration of melatonin to be supplied is predicted to be 146-148 mg/kg.

[Research for the production of recombinant human epidermal growth factor using Samia Cynthia Ricini pupae bioreactor].

The protein production system using a baculovirus Antheraea pernyi nucleopolyhedrovirus (AnpeNPV) as a gene expression vector and its host insect as a natural bioreactor was successful established and its excellent performance in the protein production has been demonstrated. In this paper, the system is used to produce recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF), which have been widely used in medical and cosmetic treatment. A recombinant AnpehEGF virus has been constructed by replacing the viral polyhedrin gene with the rhEGF gene, and then injected it to Samia cynthia ricini pupae. Amplification and expression of rhEGF gene in the pupae was clearly detected by PCR, Western blot and ELISA analyses. These analyses have also revealed that rhEGF in the pupae was significantly increased at 6 days post-infection, and reached maximum level at the 12th day. The concentrations of rhEGF were 19.77, 24.90, 618.59 and 1 952.46 ng/g pupae at 3, 6, 9 and 12 days post-infection, respectively. However, the rhEGF concentration reduced at later stage (days 15). The rhEGF in the pupae could be purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation and Ni-NTA agrose affinity chromatography. Results demonstrate that Samia cynthia ricini pupae can be used as a bioreactor to produce rhEGF and, if successfully improved, will be a novel method of rhEGF production with lower cost and more efficient.

Discharge of pharmaceuticals from a municipal solid waste transfer station: Overlooked influence on the contamination of pharmaceuticals in surface waters.

During the temporal storage of municipal solid wastes (MSWs), pharmaceutically contained in MSWs may percolate into leachates and migrate into receiving waters via surface runoff. However, knowledge of their intra-event variations during the rainfall is quite limited. To fill in this gap, we collected runoff samples in a typical MSW transfer station over the full length of a rainfall event to comprehensively characterize the pharmaceutical contamination profiles. The results showed that 18 pharmaceuticals were detected in the runoff samples with high frequencies and concentrations ranging from below MQL to 18.6 µg/L. During the rainfall event, pharmaceuticals exhibited discrepant leachabilities as a result of different sorption capacities; two concentration peaks of each pharmaceutical were observed, suggesting the leaching effect by rainwater and the potential influence of human-related rinse. A further sampling campaign for one-week-long runoff samples generated by diurnal rinse water was conducted, and the results indicated comparable mass loads of pharmaceuticals in surface runoff receiving rinse water (0.37-8250 µg) to those in rainfall runoff (0.58-1754 µg), suggesting the similar discharge of pharmaceuticals from MSW transfer stations despite the weather. The estimated per capita discharge load of caffeine, one of the typical Pharmaceuticals, from MSW transfer stations was 4383 ng capita-1 d-1, higher than that in other emission sources, e.g. municipal wastewater effluent, indicating an overlooked influence of MSW transfer stations on its contamination in the surface waters in Shanghai.

Erratum: Role of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate in the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: An enhancer or an inducer?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2015.2579.].

Diagnostic potential of trace metals concentration in expressed prostatic secretion and serum of patients with category IV prostatitis.

BACKGROUND: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) category IV prostatitis is a painless prostate gland inflammation, just as its name implies, this type of prostatitis is related with inflammation of the prostate, but most men are not conscious of it. However, category IV prostatitis is fairly common in general populations and reported having indirect relationships with prostate cancer. METHOD: We analyzed the concentration of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) and serum of patients with category IV prostatitis and healthy controls, investigating the diagnostic potential of different metals in category IV prostatitis using a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). RESULTS: Metal concentration combined clinical characteristics analysis suggested that average level of Zn, Ca, Mg were significantly lower in the EPS of patients with category IV prostatitis (P-value< 0.000), while Cu level raised obviously (P-value< 0.000). And in the serum, mean concentrations of Ca was also found to increase significantly in the patients with category IV prostatitis compared to healthy controls. Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that age showed a positive correlation with EPS Zn, Ca, Mg concentration (P-value< 0.05), while albumin correlates with EPS Zn, Ca, Mg concentration reversely (P-value< 0.05) in patients with category IV prostatitis. CONCLUSION: Our report revealed that determination of the metal elements zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium in the serum and EPS could be a new and promising strategy for the rapid diagnosis of category IV prostatitis.

Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations and Functional Connectivity in Comatose Patients Subjected to Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to investigate the changes of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFFs) and functional connectivity (FC) in the brain function of comatose patients with resting-state blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) and to discuss the underlying neurophysiological mechanism of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resting-state BOLD-fMRI scans were conducted on 20 comatose patients and 20 age-matched and gender-matched controls. The differences of fALFF between two groups were analyzed with two-sample t-test; significant differences of connectivity between groups were acquired to calculate the FC of the precuneus with other brain regions. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the comatose patients exhibited a significant reduction in fALFF in various areas, including the right cingulate gyrus, left precuneus, right inferior parietal lobule, right superior parietal lobule, bilateral anterior/posterior central gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, and the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres (P < 0.05, Alphasim correction). Compared with controls, the brain region FC correlated with the precuneus reduced mainly located in the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, posterior central gyrus, lenticular nucleus, left anterior central gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus, left anterior lobe of the cerebellum, right insula, right transverse temporal gyri, and right thalamus. Regions whose FC increased include the left superior frontal gyrus, left side of the callosum, left superior parietal lobule, and both sides of the cingulate (P < 0.05, Alphasim correction). CONCLUSION: Measurements of fALFF and FC obtained by resting-state BOLD-fMRI could provide considerable information for the analysis and evaluation of the brain function of comatose patients from the perspective of local function and global functional network and provide the theoretical basis for the study of coma nerve physiological mechanism.

Phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-mTOR inhibitor PKI-402 inhibits breast cancer induced osteolysis.

Bone metastasis causes bone pain and pathological bone fracture in breast cancer patients with a serious complication. Previous studies have demonstrated that a novel phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-mTOR inhibitor PKI-402 suppressed the growth of breast cancer cells. However, the role of PKI-402 involved in osteolysis induced by breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we showed that treatment of PKI-402 led to significant decreases in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast-specific gene expression in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and reduced proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by blocking the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. Importantly, as evidenced by the observation that the administration of PKI-402 inhibited MDA-MB-231-induced osteolysis in vivo, PKI-402 exerted an inhibitory effect on osteoclast formation and bone resorption, critical for cancer cells-induced bone destruction. These results strongly suggest that PKI-402 might have a therapeutic potential to inhibit breast cancer induced osteolysis.

Serum Macroelement and Microelement Concentrations in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine diseases. However, its pathogenesis is unclear. We aim to explore the potential relationships between serum macroelements/microelements and PCOS. A total of 1137 women were involved in the current study. PCOS was defined according to ESHRE/ASRM, and complete blood samples were collected. Serum macroelements (calcium and magnesium) and microelements (copper, zinc, and iron) were assayed through atomic absorption spectrophotometry. PCOS patients had significantly higher copper concentrations than patients without PCOS (P < 0.001). By contrast, PCOS patients had lower serum calcium levels than patients without PCOS (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the levels of serum zinc, magnesium, and iron between PCOS and non-PCOS patients. PCOS patients with acne had higher magnesium levels than those without acne (P = 0.020), and PCOS patients with hirsutism had lower magnesium levels than those without hirsutism (P = 0.037). High serum copper and low calcium levels may be correlated with PCOS. Magnesium concentrations are correlated with acne and hirsutism in PCOS patients. These results provide clues to explore the mechanism of PCOS and guidance for element treatments in PCOS patients.

[Survey on blood pressure and serum lipids in Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese living in Guangxi].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the levels of blood pressure and serum lipids, and examine the relationship between hypertension and hyperlipidemia in Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese living in Guangxi. METHODS: A total of 1056 people of Hei Yi Zhuang ethnicity were studied. Blood pressure, body height, body weight, and serum levels of lipids and apolipoprotein were measured. The data were compared with those in 925 people of Han ethnicity, who live in the same region. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.001). The prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension and hypertension was also significantly higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.001). Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein (Apo) B, and the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia were significantly lower in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.05). Serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the Apo A1 to Apo B ratio were significantly higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.001). The prevalence of hypertension in Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese was positively associated with triglycerides (r = 0.425, P < 0.05), whereas the prevalence of hypertension in Han Chinese was positively correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.623, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed a significant difference in blood pressure and serum lipids between Hei Yi Zhuang and Han ethnic groups, and an association between hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

Role of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate in the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: An enhancer or an inducer?

Epidemiological investigations have revealed that the consumption of green tea, which is a rich source of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is associated with a reduced risk of osteoporosis. A number of in vitro and in vivo studies have also demonstrated that EGCG exerts a significant positive effect on osteogenesis; however, the single effect of EGCG on osteogenic differentiation has been seldom studied. EGCG was hypothesized to function as an enhancer or an inducer. In the present study, the effect of EGCG on the osteogenic differentiation of primary human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), without other additives, was investigated. Three groups of stem cells were analyzed, which included a negative control group (hBMSCs cultured with culture medium only), an experimental group (cells treated with culture medium containing 2.5, 5 and 10 µM EGCG), and a positive control group (cells cultured with osteogenesis-induced culture medium). After 3, 7, 14 and 21 days, cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the expression of associated osteogenic genes were analyzed. The results revealed that ALP activity and the expression of associated osteogenic genes, with the exception of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), were not affected by EGCG treatment alone. These results indicated that EGCG itself had little effect on the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs; however, EGCG was able to enhance osteogenesis in the presence of osteoinductive agents through the upregulation of BMP2 expression. Additionally, EGCG was shown to promote cell growth, demonstrating its safety as a therapeutic agent. Therefore, the present study indicated that treatment with EGCG was dependent on other osteogenic inducers.

Relationship of lead and essential elements in whole blood from school-age children in Nanning, China.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements (zinc, copper, iron, calcium and magnesium) in school-age children from Nanning, China. METHODS: A total of 2457 children aged from 6 to 14 years were enrolled in Nanning, China. The levels of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were determined by an atomic absorption spectrometer. RESULTS: The mean blood lead level (BLL) was 57.21±35.00µg/L. 188 (7.65%) asymptomatic children had toxic lead level higher than 100µg/L. The school-age boys had similar lead level among different age groups, while the elder girls had less BLL. The blood Zn and Fe were found to be increased in the boys with elevated BLL, but similar trends were not observed in the girls. Positive correlations between Pb and Fe or Mg (r=0.112, 0.062, respectively, p<0.01) and a negative correlation between Pb and Ca (r=-0.047, p<0.05) were further established in the studied children. CONCLUSIONS: Lead exposure in school-age children was still prevalent in Nanning. The boys and girls differed in blood levels of lead and other metallic elements. Lead exposure may induce metabolic disorder of other metallic elements in body.

Blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements in preschool children from Nanning, China.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to assess the distribution of blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements in preschool children in an urban area of China. DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 6741 children aged 0- to 6-year-old were recruited. Levels of lead, zinc, copper, iron, calcium, and magnesium in whole blood samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: The mean blood lead level (BLL) and the prevalence of BLL≥10µg/dl (5.26±4.08µg/dl and 6.84%, respectively) increased with age gradually, and there was a gender-difference for blood lead, copper, zinc and iron levels. Compared with the group of children who had BLLs<5µg/dl, the groups of 5≤BLLs<10µg/dl and 10≤BLLs<15µg/dl showed higher blood zinc, iron and magnesium levels, and a lower blood calcium level. A positive correlation of lead with zinc, iron and magnesium, and a negative correlation of lead with calcium were found in the group of children with BLL<5µg/dl. CONCLUSION: Age- and gender-differences were found when assessing the BLL and intoxication prevalence in preschool children. Metabolic disorder of essential elements was found even with a low level of lead exposure.

Impact of partial DAZ1/2 deletion and partial DAZ3/4 deletion on male infertility.

This study aims to investigate the effect of the partial DAZ1/2 deletion and partial DAZ3/4 deletion on male infertility through a comprehensive literature search. All case-control studies related to partial DAZ1/2 and DAZ3/4 deletions and male infertility risk were included in our study. Odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association and its precision, respectively. Eleven partial DAZ1/2 deletion and nine partial DAZ3/4 deletion studies were included. Partial DAZ1/2 deletion was significantly associated with male infertility risk in the overall analysis (ORs=2.58, 95%CI: 1.60-4.18, I(2)=62.1%). Moreover, in the subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, partial DAZ1/2 deletion was significantly associated with male infertility risk in the East Asian populations under the random effect model (ORs=2.96, 95%CI: 1.87-4.71, I(2)=51.3%). Meanwhile, the analysis suggested that partial DAZ3/4 deletion was not associated with male infertility risk in East-Asian ethnicity (ORs=1.02, 95%CI: 0.54-1.92, I(2)=71.3%), but not in Non-East Asian under the random effect model (ORs=3.56, 95%CI: 1.13-11.23, I(2)=0.0%,). More interestingly, partial DAZ1/2 deletion was associated with azoospermia (ORs=2.63, 95%CI: 1.19-5.81, I(2)=64.7%) and oligozoospermia (ORs=2.53, 95%CI: 1.40-4.57, I(2)=51.8%), but partial DAZ3/4 deletion was not associated with azoospermia (ORs=0.71, 95%CI: 0.23-2.22, I(2)=71.7%,) and oligozoospermia (ORs=1.21, 95%CI: 0.65-2.24, I(2)=55.5%). In our meta-analysis, partial DAZ1/2 deletion is a risk factor for male infertility and different ethnicities have different influences, whereas partial DAZ3/4 deletion has no effect on fertility but partial DAZ3/4 deletion might have an impact on Non-East Asian male.

Effect of a novel synthesized sulfonamido-based gallate-SZNTC on chondrocytes metabolism in vitro.

The ideal therapeutic agent for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) should have not only potent anti-inflammatory effect but also favorable biological properties to restore cartilage function. Gallic acid (GA) and its derivatives are anti-inflammatory agents reported to have an effect on OA (Singh et al., 2003) [1]. However, GA has much weaker antioxidant effects and inferior bioactivity compared with its derivatives. We modified GA with the introduction of sulfonamide to synthesize a novel sulfonamido-based gallate named sodium salt of 3,4,5-trihydroxy-N-[4-(thiazol-2-ylsulfamoyl)-phenyl]-benzamide (SZNTC) and analyzed its chondro-protective and pharmacological effects. Comparison of SZNTC with GA and sulfathiazole sodium (ST-Na) was also performed. Results showed that SZNTC could effectively inhibit the Interleukin-1 (IL-1)-mediated induction of metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 and could induce the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), which demonstrated ability to reduce the progression of OA. SZNTC can also exert chondro-protective effects by promoting cell proliferation and maintaining the phenotype of articular chondrocytes, as evidenced by improved cell growth, enhanced synthesis of cartilage specific markers such as aggrecan, collagen II and Sox9. Expression of the collagen I gene was effectively down-regulated, revealing the inhibition of chondrocytes dedifferentiation by SZNTC. Hypertrophy that may lead to chondrocyte ossification was also undetectable in SZNTC groups. The recommended dose of SZNTC ranges from 3.91µg/ml to 15.64µg/ml, among which the most profound response was observed with 7.82µg/ml. In contrast, its source products of GA and ST-Na have a weak effect in the bioactivity of chondrocytes, which indicated the significance of this modification. This study revealed SZNTC as a promising novel agent in the treatment of chondral and osteochondral lesions.