Table 3 Primer sequences used in quantitative real-time PCR (all primers were purchased from Invitrogen, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)

β-Actin

5'-AAGCCACCCCACTTCTCTCTAA-3'

(Forward)

[34]

5'-AATGCTATCACCTCCCCTGTGT-3'

(Reverse)

Aggrecan

5'-AGGGCGAGTGGAATGATGTT-3'

(Forward)

[34]

5'-GGTGGCTGTGCCCTTTTTAC-3'

(Reverse)

Collagen 1A2

5'-TTGCCCAAAGTTGTCCTCTTCT-3'

(Forward)

[34]

5'-AGCTTCTGTGGAACCATGGAA-3'

(Reverse)

Collagen 2A1

5'-CTGCAAAATAAAATCTCGGTGTTCT-3'

(Forward)

[34]

5'-GGGCATTTGACTCACACCAGT-3'

(Reverse)

Collagen 10A1

5'-CTGCAAAATAAAATCTCGGTGTTCT-3'

(Forward)

[23]

5'-GGGCATTTGACTCACACCAGT-3'

(Reverse)

COMP

5'-CCGACAGCAACGTGGTCTT-3'

(Forward)

[23]

5'-CAGGTTGGCCCAGATGATG-3'

(Reverse)

HIF-1α

5'-GTAGTTGTGGAAGTTTATGCTAATATTGTGT-3'

(Forward)

[35]

5'-CTTGTTTACAGTCTGCTCAAAATATCTT-3'

(Reverse)

HIF-2α

5'-GGTGGCAGAACTTGAAGGGTTA-3'

(Forward)

[30]

5'-GGGCAACACACACAGGAAATC-3'

(Reverse)

SOX9

5'-CTTTGGTTTGTGTTCGTGTTTTG-3'

(Forward)

[34]

5'-AGAGAAAGAAAAAGGGAAAGGTAAGTTT-3'

(Reverse)

TGFβ-RI

5'-GGCTTTTCTCCACATGCTTAGG-3'

(Forward)

[39]

5'-GGCAACAGAGATCACCTGTAGACA-3'

(Reverse)

TGFβ-RII

5'-CAGTGTGGCTGCAGTAGCATAGA-3'

(Forward)

[39]

5'-CATGCCCTACGGTGCAAGT-3'

(Reverse)