Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common
joint disease that is characterized by cartilage degradation.
Iron deposition in the joints is common during the pathogenic progression of OA and recent studies have indicated that
iron overload is an important contributor to OA progression.
Calcium chelators have been reported to inhibit
iron influx via modulating
transferrin receptor protein 1 internalization, and they have been identified as a potential approach to the treatment of
iron overload‑induced diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of
calcium chelators on the progression of
iron overload‑induced OA. Primary chondrocytes were treated with various concentrations of
ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) to mimic
iron overload in vitro, followed by co‑treatment with the
calcium chelator BAPTA acetoxymethyl
ester (BAPTA‑AM). Subsequently, intracellular
iron levels, cell viability,
reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial function and morphological changes, as well as
MMP levels, were detected using commercial kits. It was demonstrated that FAC treatment significantly promoted chondrocyte apoptosis and the expression of
MMPs, and these effects were reversed by co‑treatment with BAPTA‑AM. Moreover, BAPTA‑AM suppressed
iron influx into chondrocytes and inhibited
iron overload‑induced ROS production and
mitochondrial dysfunction. These results indicated that
calcium chelators may be of value in the treatment of
iron metabolism‑related diseases and
iron overload‑induced OA progression.