Icariin increases chondrocyte vitality by promoting hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression and anaerobic glycolysis

Articular cartilage is a unique avascular tissue in which chondrocytes are embedded in extracellular matrix (ECM). The decreased ECM resulting from the loss of articular chondrocyte viability leads to degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to investigate the effect of icariin (ICA) on ECM synthesis and chondrocyte viability.Micromass culture, alcian blue, and Safran O (SO)/fast green staining were used to investigate...