The C28/I2 line of immortalized juvenile human chondrocytes was employed to determine the extent to which recombinant human (rh) interleukin-6 (rhIL-6), the interleukin-6-like cytokine, rh-oncostatin M, and the adipokine, rh-adiponectin, activated extracellularsignal regulated kinase (ERK1/2), p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38α MAPK) and c-Jun-amino-terminal kinase (JNK).