Our results revealed that CAR provoked the expression of cartilage-specific catabolic genes including IL-1β, MMP2 and MMP9. Additionally, IL-1β, the proinflammatory cytokine, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of degenerative joint disease, particularly osteoarthritis (Jenei-Lanzl, Meurer & Zaucke, 2019; Xia et al., 2014). Here, MMP9 is linked to osteoarthritis.