How different methodologies of harvesting and analysing the samples affect the test results in determining joint mediators

Does the Difference in Leukocyte Concentration of PRP Affect the Short-Term Follow-Up Results in Cases Diagnosed with Early Stage Knee Osteoarthritis?

This prospective study was conducted for the clinical evaluation of pain severity and knee functionality following PRP injections with different leukocyte (WBC) concentrations applied to cases diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. A total of 109 patients were included in the study. According to the leukocyte content the PRP injections were prepared as low-leukocyte content PRP (P-PRP) and high concentration leukocyte content PRP (L-PRP). Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n=44) received low-leukocyte content PRP and Group II (n = 65) received high-leukocyte content PRP. The patients were evaluated clinically with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Knee Society Score (KSS). The changes in the PLT levels of the L-PRP group after the procedure compared to the levels prior to the procedure were found to be statistically significantly greater than the changes in the PPRP group. The mean VAS score of all the cases before treatment was 9.05±0.91 and this score decreased to 3.71±1.46 within 12 months. The increases in the mean Knee Society Score (KSS) values were determined as 16.92±1.97 within 6 months and 16.89±2.97 within 12 months in the P-PRP group and 19.71±1.24 within 6 months and 19.86±0.42 within 12 months in the L-PRP group. The most important aspect of this study is that, in contrast to many other studies, the results continued after the 6th month and were reported to be good in the 12th month. It was also recorded that L-PRP was clinically superior to P-PRP in the treatment of early stage knee osteoarthritis.

Investigation of the effect of dipyrone on cells isolated from intervertebral disc tissue

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dipyrone, an indispensable analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-spasmodic used in emergency departments, on nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells in vitro. After surgical biopsy, primary cell cultures were prepared from intact intervertebral disc tissues. Dipyrone was administered to the cultures in the experimental groups except for the control group. The data obtained were statistically evaluated. The proliferation was identified to be suppressed via MTT analysis. The gene expression profile of the intervertebral disc cells in the dipyrone-treated groups was significantly changed. The expression of chondroadherin, cartilage oligo matrix protein, interleukin-1β and metalloproteinase (MMP)-19 genes were decreased, but MMP-13 and MMP-7 genes expressions were increased, as determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. AO/PI staining revealed that no apoptotic or other type of cell death was detectable after administration of dipyrone does not mean that the drug is innocuous. The occurrence of cellular senescence and/or the halt of cell proliferation may also be important mechanisms underlying the adverse inhibitory effects of dipyrone. Therefore, prior to administering dipyrone in clinical practice, all possible adverse effects of this drug should be considered.

Iopromide- and gadopentetic acid-derived preparates used in MR arthrography may be harmful to chondrocytes

Background

Magnetic resonance arthrography, a procedure through which contrast agents containing gadolinium and/or iopromide are administered intra-articularly, has become a useful tool in musculoskeletal diagnosis. Nevertheless, despite being considered safe for systemic use, certain tissue toxicities have been identified for both drugs. In this study, the effects of short-term exposure of human primary chondrocyte cell cultures to gadolinium and/or iopromide contrast agents were examined by assaying for stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) protein expression (a chondrogenic differentiation marker), cell viability, toxicity, and proliferation.

Methods

Human articular chondrocytes were grown in monolayer culture and were exposed to iopromide and/or gadolinium diethylenetriamine-pentaacetate (Gd-DPT) for 2 and 6 h. Cell cultures with no drug exposure were used as the control group. Cell differentiation status was assessed according to SSEA-1 protein expression. Contrast agent effects on cell viability and proliferation were analyzed using MTT analysis. Further, changes in cell morphology in relation to the control group were evaluated using inverted light microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging. The obtained data were statistically compared.

Results

When compared with the control group, both SSEA-1 protein expression and cell proliferation were lowest in the Gd-DPT group (P = 0.000). There was a statistically significant correlation between SSEA-1 expression and MTT results (rho = 0.351; P = 0.003).

Conclusions

Nevertheless, the data obtained from in vitro experiments may not directly correspond to clinical applications. However, the mere fact that a drug used solely for diagnostic purposes may repress chondrocyte cell proliferation should be carefully considered by clinicians.

Chondrocyte proliferation, viability and differentiation is declined following administration of methylphenidate utilized for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

PURPOSE

Methylphenidate (MPH) derivative drugs are used because of psychostimulants effects on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults. As far as we know, toxic or anti-proliferative effects of MPH against cartilage tissue were not studied in the literature. The present study was carried out to investigate the possible effects of MPH on the proliferation, viability and differentiation of primary human chondrocytes, in vitro.

METHODS

Monolayer primary chondrocyte cultures were prepared using osteochondral tissue obtained from patients who underwent a total knee prosthesis operation. Stock solution of MPH was prepared and aliquots having 1-1000 µM concentrations of the drug was composed. These solutions were applied to the wells containing cultured chondrocyte samples within the well plates. Control groups were composed of pure chondrocyte culture and no solution was added into them. All groups were evaluated at 24, 48 and 72 h in order to determine the possible negative effects of the drug on the chondrocytes. The data were evaluated by Tukey's honestly significantly different test following analysis of variance.

RESULTS

In the group where MPH was applied, it was found that viability, proliferation and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 protein expression were decreased in comparison to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

It was emphasized that clinicians should not disregard the fact that this drug might suppress chondrocyte cell proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation.

Are We Economically Efficient Enough to Increase the Potential of in Vitro Proliferation of Osteoblasts by Means of Pharmacochemical Agents?

Background:

The aim of this study was to test the necessity of using expensive and unaccesible pharmacological-chemical agents in the proliferation of bone tissue cultures and in the induction of mineralized matrix formation to increase the osteogenic effect.

Methods:

For this purpose, human primary cell cultures were prepared and then divided into two groups. Whereas the cells in group I were fed with an osteoblast stimulator medium containing Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and β-glycerophosphate, the cells in group II were fed with DMEM containing dexamethasone and 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid trisodium salt. Both groups were evaluated in terms of viability, toxicity, and proliferation and then compared in terms of cell surface morphology through inverted light and environmental scanning electron microscopy. In addition to immunoflow cytometric analyses, the effects of alkaline phosphatase activities were evaluated using the spectrophotometric method to examine the osteoblastic activities. Costs were calculated in the currency of the European Union (Euros). The Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test was used to reach the statistical evaluation of the data after the analysis of variance.

Results:

It was reported that the level of the alkaline phosphates was higher in group I compared to group II. It was observed that the surface morphology quality, the number of living cells, and proliferation were higher in group II and that the results were deemed statistically significant.

Conclusion:

It was found that the 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid trisodium salt and dexamethasone mixture was as effective as the expensive commercial kits on the osteogenic effect on human primary bone tissue.

Is there a treatment protocol in which platelet-rich plasma is effective?

AIM

We aimed to reveal whether there are prospective suggestions for effective and standard platelet-rich plasma applications.

METHODS

We searched for clinical trials and traced all the references of incorporated documents.

RESULTS

In literature, there was no study indicating which disease is treated by which mechanism of action, how much dose and content are prepared and applied, when the treatment is applied and how many cures are applied.

CONCLUSION

Guides introducing which concentrations of PRP are used for which diseases are to be prepared immediately by a committee which is comprised of primarily orthopedists, clinical pharmacologists and toxicologists.

Assessing the negative impact of phenyl alkanoic acid derivative, a frequently prescribed drug for the suppression of pain and inflammation, on the differentiation and proliferation of chondrocytes

Background

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently prescribed to relieve pain and inflammation. These NSAIDs have also analgesic effects and can be administered via oral, injectable, and topical routes. During inflammation, a number of synovial mediators and cytokines are released which decrease the pH level of the synovial fluid. Administration of acidic NSAIDs further decreases the pH levels and hence contributes to the destruction of the cartilage. To our knowledge, no cellular-based study regarding the chondrotoxicity of phenyl alkanoic acid derivatives on NSAIDs was conducted before. Thus, the aim of this pioneering study was to examine the effect of frequently prescribed NSAIDs, a phenyl alkanoic acid derivative, flurbiprofen, on the proliferation and differentiation of human primer chondrocyte cultures in vitro.

Methods

Primer chondrocyte cultures were prepared from osteochondral tissue obtained during surgery for gonarthrosis. Samples not exposed to the pharmacological agent were used as the control group. The samples were treated with 1, 10, 100, 250, 500, or 1000 μM of the agent for 24, 48, and 72 h. The cell viability, toxicity, and proliferation were assessed with MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) analysis and prechondrocytic precursor stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) expression using a commercial ELISA kit spectrophotometrically. The surface morphology of the samples in each group was compared using an inverted light microscope and an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). An analysis of variance was used to compare between-group differences. Tukey’s honest significant difference (HSD) method (95 % confidence interval) was used to evaluate the differences and significance in averages. The alpha significance value was considered <0.01.

Results

Statistically significant cytotoxicity was observed in the treatment groups. NSAID had a significant negative effect on the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes as compared to the control group (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Before administering phenyl alkanoic acid derivatives in the clinical setting, their role in suppressing the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes should be taken into account. Thus, caution should be given when prescribing these drugs.

A practical way to prepare primer human chondrocyte culture

Biological cartilage repair is one of the most important targets for orthopedic surgeons currently. For this purpose, it is mandatory to know how to prepare a chondrocyte culture. In this study, our purpose was to introduce a method enabling orthopedic surgeons to practice their knowledge and skills on molecular experimental setup at cellular level, based on our experiences from previous pilot studies. Thus, we believe it will encourage orthopedic surgeons.