Pravastatin suppresses matrix metalloproteinase expression and activity in human articular chondrocytes stimulated by interleukin-1β

COMP in the Infrapatellar Fat Pad-Results of a Prospective Histological, Immunohistological, and Biochemical Case-Control Study

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) involves several structures and molecules in the joint, which interact in a pathophysiological process. One of these molecules is the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). Elevated COMP levels in the synovial fluid as well as in the serum have been described in OA patients. However, this has not been described in the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) tissue before. In this prospective trial, we collected 14 IPFPs from patients with high-grade OA (mean age 63.8 ± 17.6 years) who underwent total knee replacement (OA group) and from 11 healthy patients (mean age 33.7 ± 14.8 years) who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (control group). The presence of macrophages (CD68 and CD206) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1β [IL-1β] and IL-6) was analyzed. Histological and immunohistological examinations as well as immunoblotting analysis for COMP, leptin, and matrix-metalloproteinase-3 were performed. The IPFPs of both the OA and control group consisted of adipose tissue and fibrous tissue, and the fibrous tissue showed higher score values than the adipose tissue for COMP staining (intensity as well as stained area) in both groups. Although COMP could be detected in most samples, leptin expression was found only in single specimens. COMP could be detected mostly in the fibrous tissue portion of the IPFP. We speculate that it is involved in a remodeling process taking place in the IPFP during OA. Presence of leptin was irregular in immunohistology, and the control group showed higher scores in case of presence. Interestingly, immunoblotting could detect leptin in all analyzed samples. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research® published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society J Orthop Res 38:747-758, 2020.

Simvastatin prevents articular chondrocyte dedifferentiation induced by nitric oxide by inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13

IMPACT STATEMENT

Dedifferentiation of chondrocytes is the main character of cartilage degradation. Therefore the understanding of chondrocytes dedifferentiation is essential for arthritis therapy. However, the molecular mechanism of cartilage destroy is mostly unknown. In this work we show that simvastatin (SVT) inhibits dedifferentiation by nitric oxide by blocking the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13. These effects of SVT on dedifferentiation suggest that SVT may be used as a drug for the cure of arthritis.

Single intra-articular injection of fluvastatin-PLGA microspheres reduces cartilage degradation in rabbits with experimental osteoarthritis

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway. The anti-inflammatory effect of statins has been reported in recent years. The present study investigated therapeutic effects of the local administration of statin in osteoarthritis (OA). We assessed clinically used statins and selected fluvastatin for further experimentation, as it showed potent anabolic and anti-catabolic effects on human OA chondrocytes. To achieve controlled intra-articular administration of statin, we developed an intra-articular injectable statin using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a drug delivery system (DDS). The release profile of the statin was evaluated in vitro. Finally, therapeutic effects of fluvastatin-loaded PLGA microspheres (FLU-PLGA) were tested in a rabbit OA model. Rabbit knees were divided into four subgroups: group 1-A, PLGA-treated group; group 1-B, PLGA contralateral saline control group; group 2-A, FLU-PLGA-treated group; and group 2-B, FLU-PLGA contralateral saline control group. Histological analysis 5 weeks after intra-articular injection revealed that OARSI scores were lower in group 2-A. No significant differences in OARSI scores were observed between groups 1-A, 1-B, and 2-B. This study indicates that a single intra-articular injection of fluvastatin-loaded PLGA microspheres could be a novel therapeutic approach for treating patients with OA. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2465-2475, 2017.

Current Care and Investigational Therapies in Achondroplasia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The goal of this review is to evaluate the management options for achondroplasia, the most common non-lethal skeletal dysplasia. This disease is characterized by short stature and a variety of complications, some of which can be quite severe.

RECENT FINDINGS

Despite several attempts to standardize care, there is still no widely accepted consensus. This is in part due to absence of concrete data on the incidence of sudden unexplained death in infants with achondroplasia and the best investigation for ascertaining which individuals could benefit from foramen magnum decompression surgery. In this review, we identify the different options of care and management for the various orthopedic, neurologic, and respiratory complications. In parallel, several innovative or drug repositioning therapies are being investigated that would restore bone growth but may also prevent complications. Achondroplasia is the most common non-lethal skeletal dysplasia. It is characterized by short stature and a variety of complications, some of which can be quite severe. Despite several attempts to standardize care, there is still no widely accepted consensus. This is in part due to absence of concrete data on the incidence of sudden unexplained death in infants with achondroplasia and the best investigation for ascertaining which individuals could benefit from foramen magnum decompression surgery. In this review, we identify the different options of care and management for the various orthopedic, neurologic, and respiratory complications. In parallel, several innovative or drug repositioning therapies are being investigated that would restore bone growth but may also prevent complications.

Modeling craniofacial and skeletal congenital birth defects to advance therapies

Craniofacial development is an intricate process of patterning, morphogenesis, and growth that involves many tissues within the developing embryo. Genetic misregulation of these processes leads to craniofacial malformations, which comprise over one-third of all congenital birth defects. Significant advances have been made in the clinical management of craniofacial disorders, but currently very few treatments specifically target the underlying molecular causes. Here, we review recent studies in which modeling of craniofacial disorders in primary patient cells, patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and mice have enhanced our understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of these disorders while also advancing therapeutic avenues for their prevention.

Resveratrol Interferes with IL1-β-Induced Pro-Inflammatory Paracrine Interaction between Primary Chondrocytes and Macrophages

State of the art. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic articular disease characterized by cartilage degradation and osteophyte formation. OA physiopathology is multifactorial and involves mechanical and hereditary factors. So far, there is neither preventive medicine to delay cartilage breakdown nor curative treatment. Objectives. To investigate pro-inflammatory paracrine interactions between human primary chondrocytes and macrophages following interleukin-1-β (IL-1β) treatment; to evaluate the molecular mechanism responsible for the inhibitory effect of resveratrol. Results. The activation of NF-κB in chondrocytes by IL-1β induced IL-6 secretion. The latter will then activate STAT3 protein in macrophages. Moreover, STAT3 was able to positively regulate IL-6 secretion, as confirmed by the doubling level of IL-6 in the coculture compared to macrophage monoculture. These experiments confirm the usefulness of the coculture model in the inflammatory arthritis-linked process as a closer biological situation to the synovial joint than separated chondrocytes and macrophages. Il also demonstrated the presence of an inflammatory amplification loop induced by IL-1β. Resveratrol showed a strong inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory marker secretion. The decrease of IL-6 secretion is dependent on the NFκB inhibition in the chondrocytes. Such reduction of the IL-6 level can limit STAT3 activation in the macrophages, leading to the interruption of the inflammatory amplification loop. Conclusion. These results increase our understanding of the anti-inflammatory actions of resveratrol and open new potential approaches to prevent and treat osteoarthritis.

Anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of atorvastatin in a cartilage explant model of osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the chondroprotective potential of atorvastatin in rat's cartilage explant culture model of osteoarthritis, stimulated by interleukin-1β (IL-1β).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cartilage explants were treated with 20 ng/ml IL-1β alone or with 20 ng/ml IL-1β + various concentration of atorvastatin (1, 3, or 10 µM dissolved in DMSO) and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. Also, control (0.25% DMSO), stimulated (20 ng IL-1β) and treatment (atorvastatin 10 µM) cartilage explants were incubated without and with 1400W (10 µM). After 24 h of incubation, TNF-α, PGE2, MMP-13, TIMP-1, NO, and superoxide anion formation (O2(-)) concomitant with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were estimated in the medium.

RESULTS

Atorvastatin inhibited IL-1β-induced GAGs release, TNF-α, MMP-13, and O2(-) with no effect on TIMP-1 and NO. In addition, the source of NO in normal and atorvastatin-treated cartilage was eNOS, while for IL-1β-stimulated cartilage it was iNOS. The cartilage degradation was associated with the combined effects of increased NO and O2 (-) rather than only NO.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that atorvastatin has the ability to protect cartilage degradation following IL-1β-stimulated cartilage in in vitro OA model and supports additional therapeutic application of atorvastatin in OA.

Statin treatment rescues FGFR3 skeletal dysplasia phenotypes

Gain-of-function mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene (FGFR3) result in skeletal dysplasias, such as thanatophoric dysplasia and achondroplasia (ACH). The lack of disease models using human cells has hampered the identification of a clinically effective treatment for these diseases. Here we show that statin treatment can rescue patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models and a mouse model of FGFR3 skeletal dysplasia. We converted fibroblasts from thanatophoric dysplasia type I (TD1) and ACH patients into iPSCs. The chondrogenic differentiation of TD1 iPSCs and ACH iPSCs resulted in the formation of degraded cartilage. We found that statins could correct the degraded cartilage in both chondrogenically differentiated TD1 and ACH iPSCs. Treatment of ACH model mice with statin led to a significant recovery of bone growth. These results suggest that statins could represent a medical treatment for infants and children with TD1 and ACH.