Mechanical injuries play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, especially in horses. Chondrocytes are highly mechanosensitive cells responsible for the production and maintenance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of articular cartilage. ECM turnover is influenced by mechanical and osmotic factors, and Ca 2+ signalling is a key component of mechanical responsiveness in these cells. Hence, for this thesis, freshly isolated equine articular chondrocytes was used to investigate the influence of mechanical and/or osmotic loading. Immunohistochemistry revealed superficial localisation of the TRPV (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid) channel members 4, 5 and 6 in equine articular cartilage suggesting a possible mechanotransduction and chemotransduction role for these channels in articular chondrocytes. Furthermore, in serial passages, the expression of TRPV4 and BKca channels were stable whereas expression of the TRPVS and 6 channels increased with time and the number of passages, which correlated with de-differentiation of chondrocytes.