Chondroitin sulfate alleviates osteoarthritis by upregulating HSPA8 to inhibit chondrocyte ferroptosis.

ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease with no curative treatment currently available. Recent evidence suggests that chondrocyte ferroptosis contributes to OA progression. Chondroitin sulfate (CS), widely used in OA management, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, yet its role in modulating ferroptosis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether CS alleviates OA by inhibiting chondrocyte ferroptosis and explored the underlying mechanisms. Using an in vitro ferroptosis model induced by RSL3 in rat chondrocytes, we found that CS significantly restored cell viability and ameliorated ferroptosis-related changes, including reduction of intracellular and mitochondrial ROS, lipid peroxidation, and iron overload. CS also downregulated the expres

SUBMITTER: Jiang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12919810 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature