Therapeutic effect of Resveratrol in the treatment of osteoarthritis via the MALAT1/miR-9/NF-κB signaling pathway

Mume Fructus reduces interleukin-1 beta-induced cartilage degradation via MAPK downregulation in rat articular chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of degenerative arthritis. It is characterized by persistent pain, joint dysfunction, and physical disability. Pain relief and inflammation control are prioritised during osteoarthritis treatment Mume Fructus (Omae), a fumigated product of the Prunus mume fruit, is used as a traditional medicine in several Asian countries. However, its therapeutic mechanism of action and effects on osteoarthritis and articular chondrocytes remain unknown. In this study, we analyzed the anti-osteoarthritis and articular regenerative effects of Mume Fructus extract on rat chondrocytes. Mume Fructus treatment reduced the interleukin-1β-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3, matrix metalloproteinase 13, and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motifs 5. Additionally, it enhanced collagen type II alpha 1 chain and aggrecan accumulation in rat chondrocytes. Furthermore, Mume Fructus treatment regulated the inflammatory cytokine levels, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, and nuclear factor-kappa B activation. Overall, our results demonstrated that Mume Fructus inhibits osteoarthritis progression by inhibiting the nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways to reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines and prevent cartilage degeneration. Therefore, Mume Fructus may be a potential therapeutic option for osteoarthritis.

Intra-articular administration of PLGA resveratrol sustained-release nanoparticles attenuates the development of rat osteoarthritis

Our previous studies have confirmed that resveratrol (RSV) can prevent the development of osteoarthritis through a variety of mechanisms, such as apoptosis inhibition, autophagy induction and SIRT 1 activation. However, the pharmaceutical application of RSV is mainly limited by its low bioavailability. Here, we designed and synthesized RSV-loaded poly (D, l-lactide-coglycolide acid) (PLGA)-nanoparticles (NPs). The average particle size, polydispersity index and positive charge of RSV-loaded PLGA NPs were 50.40 nm, 0.217 and 12.57 mV, respectively. These nanoparticles had marked encapsulation efficiency (92.35 %) and drug loading (15.1 %) for RSV. It was found that RSV-loaded PLGA NPs not only inhibited the apoptosis of chondrocytes induced by IL-1, but also rescued GAG loss in vitro. Pharmacokinetic data showed that RSV-loaded PLGA NPs demonstrated a significantly profound and prolonged concentration profile in joint tissues, with quantifiable RSV concentrations over 35 days. The therapeutic effects of RSV-loaded PLGA NPs were then examined in rat osteoarthritis models. In vitro magnetic resonance imaging results showed that RSV-loaded PLGA NPs treatment dramatically reduced both T1ρ and T2 relaxation times at 4, 8, 12 weeks during administration, implying that cartilage destruction was alleviated. Histological assessments showed that RSV-loaded PLGA NPs significantly improved osteoarthritis symptoms. Gene expression analysis revealed that osteoarthritis mediator genes were downregulated in rats treated with RSV-PLGA NPs. Mechanistic studies indicated that RSV-loaded PLGA NPs inhibit apoptosis and promote autophagy. Collectively, this study demonstrates that intra-articular delivery of RSV via PLGA NPs might be an effective therapeutic approach for osteoarthritis.

The emerging role of lncRNAs in osteoarthritis development and potential therapy

Osteoarthritis impairs the functions of various joints, such as knees, hips, hands and spine, which causes pain, swelling, stiffness and reduced mobility in joints. Multiple factors, including age, joint injuries, obesity, and mechanical stress, could contribute to osteoarthritis development and progression. Evidence has demonstrated that genetics and epigenetics play a critical role in osteoarthritis initiation and progression. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been revealed to participate in osteoarthritis development. In this review, we describe the pivotal functions and molecular mechanisms of numerous lncRNAs in osteoarthritis progression. We mention that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) could be biomarkers for osteoarthritis diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic targets. Moreover, we highlight the several compounds that alleviate osteoarthritis progression in part via targeting lncRNAs. Furthermore, we provide the future perspectives regarding the potential application of lncRNAs in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of osteoarthritis.

LncRNA MALAT1 Targets miR-9-3p to Upregulate SAP97 in the Hippocampus of Mice with Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common subtype of dementia, but the precise mechanism underlying VaD is not fully understood. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) can act as a key regulator in physiological and pathological processes, including neurological disorders, but whether it is correlated with VaD has not been elucidated. In this study, we established a mouse model of VaD by the transient bilateral common carotid artery occlusion surgery. As expected, the Morris water maze showed that VaD mice had significant deficits in spatial learning and memory. MALAT1 was elevated in the hippocampus of VaD mice. Additionally, we found that microRNA (miR)-9-3p was downregulated in the VaD hippocampus. By performing a dual-luciferase report assay, we verified the binding relationship between MALAT1 and miR-9-3p. Interestingly, synapse-associated protein-97 (SAP97), a well-known gene related to synaptic functions, was found upregulated in the hippocampus of VaD mice. In vitro experiments performed on hippocampal neurons demonstrated that miR-9-3p negatively regulated SAP97 expression. The downregulation of MALAT1 in hippocampal neurons increased miR-9-3p and reduced SAP97, whereas miR-9-3p inhibition rescued the MALAT1 downregulation-mediated SAP97 reduction. In conclusion, the present study reported the alterations in the expression levels of MALAT1, miR-9-3p, and SAP97 in the hippocampus of VaD mice, suggesting that MALAT1 targets miR-9-3p to upregulate SAP97 in the hippocampus of mice with VaD. This work will be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of VaD.

The therapeutic effect and mechanism of melatonin on osteoarthritis: From the perspective of non-coding RNAs

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a slowly progressing and irreversible joint disease. The existing non-surgical treatment can only delay its progress, making the early treatment of OA a research hotspot in recent years. Melatonin, a neurohormone mainly secreted by the pineal gland, has a variety of regulatory functions in different organs, and numerous studies have confirmed its therapeutic effect on OA. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute the majority of the human transcribed genome. Various ncRNAs show significant differentially expressed between healthy people and OA patients. ncRNAs play diverse roles in many cellular processes and have been implicated in many pathological conditions, especially OA. Interestingly, the latest research found a close interaction between ncRNAs and melatonin in regulating the pathogenesis of OA. This review discusses the current understanding of the melatonin-mediated modulation of ncRNAs in the early stage of OA. We also delineate the potential link between rhythm genes and ncRNAs in chondrocytes. This review will serve as a solid foundation to formulate ideas for future mechanistic studies on the therapeutic potential of melatonin and ncRNAs in OA and better explore the emerging functions of the ncRNAs.

Protective Effect of Resveratrol on Knee Osteoarthritis and its Molecular Mechanisms: A Recent Review in Preclinical and Clinical Trials

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the progressing chronic joint associated with by many complex factors such as age, obesity, and trauma. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common type of OA. KOA is characterized by articular cartilage destruction and degeneration, synovial inflammation, and abnormal subchondral bone changes. To date, no practical clinical approach has been able to modify the pathological progression of KOA. Drug therapy is limited to pain control and may lead to serious side effects when taken for a long time. Therefore, searching for safer and more reliable treatments has become necessary. Interestingly, more and more research has focused on natural products, and monomeric compounds derived from natural products have received much attention as drug candidates for KOA treatment. Resveratrol (RES), a natural phenolic compound, has various pharmacological and biological activities, including anti-cancer, anti-apoptotic, and anti-decay. Recently, studies on the effects of RES on maintaining the normal homeostasis of chondrocytes in KOA have received increasing attention, which seems to be attributed to the multi-targeted effects of RES on chondrocyte function. This review summarizes preclinical trials, clinical trials, and emerging tissue engineering studies of RES for KOA and discusses the specific mechanisms by which RES alleviates KOA. A better understanding of the pharmacological role of RES in KOA could provide clinical implications for intervention in the development of KOA.

Ten Hotspot MicroRNAs and Their Potential Targets of Chondrocytes Were Revealed in Osteoarthritis Based on Bibliometric Analysis

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common joint disorders and debilitating diseases. Current evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of OA and have great potential as new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We aimed to analyze the trends and research status on miRNAs in OA and further demonstrate the hotspot miRNAs in OA via CiteSpace and VOSviewer.

Methods

Publications regarding miRNAs and OA were extracted from the Web of Science (WOS) database on October 30, 2021. We assessed the number of publications, institutions, countries, authors, journals, cited references, and keywords with the help of the software tools CiteSpace and VOSviewer.

Results

A total of 1109 articles were included. Research related to miRNAs and OA began to appear in 2008, and the overall trend is increasing. Chinese institutions have a leading advantage in the number of publications but lack high-quality and high-cited research and are laggard in co-cited literature. Ten miRNAs including miR-140, miR-146, miR-34, miR-181, miR-27, miR-9, miR-29, miR-21, miR-26, and miR-155 and chondrocytes were revealed as the most obvious miRNAs and a potential target for OA based on bibliometric analysis. More focus will be placed on a comprehensive study on chondrocytes regulated by miRNAs, which may accelerate possible diagnostic biomarkers and diagnostic biomarkers of OA in the future.

Phytochemicals Mediate Autophagy Against Osteoarthritis by Maintaining Cartilage Homeostasis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease and is a leading cause of disability and reduced quality of life worldwide. There are currently no clinical treatments that can stop or slow down OA. Drugs have pain-relieving effects, but they do not slow down the course of OA and their long-term use can lead to serious side effects. Therefore, safe and clinically appropriate long-term treatments for OA are urgently needed. Autophagy is an intracellular protective mechanism, and targeting autophagy-related pathways has been found to prevent and treat various diseases. Attenuation of the autophagic pathway has now been found to disrupt cartilage homeostasis and plays an important role in the development of OA. Therefore, modulation of autophagic signaling pathways mediating cartilage homeostasis has been considered as a potential therapeutic option for OA. Phytochemicals are active ingredients from plants that have recently been found to reduce inflammatory factor levels in cartilage as well as attenuate chondrocyte apoptosis by modulating autophagy-related signaling pathways, which are not only widely available but also have the potential to alleviate the symptoms of OA. We reviewed preclinical studies and clinical studies of phytochemicals mediating autophagy to regulate cartilage homeostasis for the treatment of OA. The results suggest that phytochemicals derived from plant extracts can target relevant autophagic pathways as complementary and alternative agents for the treatment of OA if subjected to rigorous clinical trials and pharmacological tests.

The regulatory activities of MALAT1 in the development of bone and cartilage diseases

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been comprehensively implicated in various cellular functions by mediating transcriptional or post-transcriptional activities. MALAT1 is involved in the differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of multiple cell lines, including BMSCs, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and chondrocytes. Interestingly, MALAT1 may interact with RNAs or proteins, regulating cellular processes. Recently, MALAT1 has been reported to be associated with the development of bone and cartilage diseases by orchestrating the signaling network. The involvement of MALAT1 in the pathological development of bone and cartilage diseases makes it available to be a potential biomarker for clinical diagnosis or prognosis. Although the potential mechanisms of MALAT1 in mediating the cellular processes of bone and cartilage diseases are still needed for further elucidation, MALAT1 shows great promise for drug development.

Research Progress on the Antiosteoarthritic Mechanism of Action of Natural Products

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a clinical joint degenerative disease, the pathogenic factors of which include age, obesity, and mechanical injury. Its main pathological features include cartilage loss, narrowing of joint space, and osteophyte formation. At present, there are a variety of treatment methods for OA. Natural products, which are gradually being applied in the treatment of OA, are advantageous as they present with low toxicity and low costs and act on multiple targets.

Methods

The terms “natural products,” “osteoarthritis,” and “chondrocytes” were searched in PubMed to screen the related literature in the recent 10 years.

Results

We comprehensively introduced 62 published papers on 48 natural products involving 6, 3, 5, 12, 4, and 5 kinds of terpenoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins, respectively (and others).

Conclusion

The mechanisms of their anti-OA action mainly involve reducing the production of inflammatory factors, reducing oxidative stress, regulating the metabolism of chondrocytes, promoting the proliferation of chondrocytes, or inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis. This article summarizes the anti-OA activity of natural products in the last 10 years and provides candidate monomers for further study for use in OA treatment.

Identification and validation of key long non-coding RNAs in resveratrol protect against IL-1β-treated chondrocytes via integrated bioinformatic analysis

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in regulation of gene transcription, but little is known about the correlation among resveratrol and lncRNAs. This study aimed to identify and validate the key lncRNAs in resveratrol protect against IL-1β-treated chondrocytes.

Methods

In this experiment, high-throughput sequencing technique was performed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs between IL-1β-treated chondrocytes with or not resveratrol. Moreover, gene ontology and KEGG pathway of the differentially expressed genes were carried out by R software. Then, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed by Cytoscape software. Venn diagram was performed to identify the potentially target miRNAs of LINC00654. Then, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to validate the most significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs.

Results

Totally, 1016 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified (493 downregulated) between control and resveratrol-treated chondrocytes. Totally, 75 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified (downregulated = 54, upregulated = 21). Totally, 3308 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified (downregulated = 1715, upregulated = 1593). GO (up) were as follows: skin development, response to organophosphorus. GO (down) mainly included visual perception, single fertilization, and sensory perception of smell. KEGG (up) were as follows: TNF signaling pathway and TGF-beta signaling pathway. KEGG (down) were as follows: viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor. We identified that LINC00654 and OGFRL1 were upregulated in resveratrol-treated chondrocytes. However, miR-210-5p was downregulated in resveratrol-treated chondrocytes.

Conclusion

In sum, the present study for the first time detected the differential expressed lncRNAs involved in resveratrol-treated chondrocytes via employing bioinformatic methods.

Synthesis of Resveratrol Loaded Hybrid Silica-PAMAM Dendrimer Nanoparticles With Emphases on Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Cytotoxicity

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound exhibiting therapeutic activities. However, the stability can be altered by UV light, pH and changes in temperature. Encapsulation would be an ideal strategy to improve the stability and bioavailability. Thus, trans-resveratrol (Res) was encapsulated within hybrid nanoparticles consisted with silica and G4 polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM) by sol-gel method. The diameters of synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) were at a range of 212-574 nm and the encapsulation efficiency was 86 %. RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line induced with endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide was treated with free resveratrol and Res-loaded NPs for assessing inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), where IC₅₀ values of free resveratrol and Res-loaded NPs were 122.68 µM and 249.74 µM. As for cytotoxicity, IC₅₀ values of free resveratrol were found as 176.57 µM and 201.54 µM for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, whereas 197.16 µM and 219.07 µM for Res-loaded NPs for the respective cell lines. Overall, sol-gel technique proved to be an ideal technology as can be carried out under mild conditions and Res-loaded NPs have potential to be utilized in the industry.

Emerging Natural-Product-Based Treatments for the Management of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex degenerative disease in which joint homeostasis is disrupted, leading to synovial inflammation, cartilage degradation, subchondral bone remodeling, and resulting in pain and joint disability. Yet, the development of new treatment strategies to restore the equilibrium of the osteoarthritic joint remains a challenge. Numerous studies have revealed that dietary components and/or natural products have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bone-resorption, and anabolic potential and have received much attention toward the development of new therapeutic strategies for OA treatment. In the present review, we provide an overview of current and emerging natural-product-based research treatments for OA management by drawing attention to experimental, pre-clinical, and clinical models. Herein, we review current and emerging natural-product-based research treatments for OA management.

Therapeutic Single Compounds for Osteoarthritis Treatment

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related degenerative disease for which an effective disease-modifying therapy is not available. Natural compounds derived from plants have been traditionally used in the clinic to treat OA. Over the years, many studies have explored the treatment of OA using natural extracts. Although various active natural extracts with broad application prospects have been discovered, single compounds are more important for clinical trials than total natural extracts. Moreover, although natural extracts exhibit minimal safety issues, the cytotoxicity and function of all single compounds in a total extract remain unclear. Therefore, understanding single compounds with the ability to inhibit catabolic factor expression is essential for developing therapeutic agents for OA. This review describes effective single compounds recently obtained from natural extracts and the possibility of developing therapeutic agents against OA using these compounds.

Resveratrol alleviates the interleukin-1β-induced chondrocytes injury through the NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a regular age-related disease that affects millions of people. Resveratrol (RSV) is a flavonoid with a stilbene structure with different pharmacological effects. The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate the protective role of RSV against the human OA chondrocyte injury induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β).

METHODS

Chondrocytes were isolated from OA patients and identified by type II collagen, safranin O staining, and toluidine blue staining. Differentially expressed genes in chondrocytes treated RSV were identified by RNA sequencing. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway as well as gene ontology (GO) were further conducted through Metascape online tool. A cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was applied to discover the viability of chondrocytes (6, 12, 24, and 48 μM). Many genes associated with inflammation and matrix degradation are evaluated by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) as well as western blot (WB). The mechanism of RSV for protecting IL-1β induced chondrocytes injury was further measured through immunofluorescence and WB assays.

RESULTS

A total of 845 differentially expressed genes (upregulated = 499, downregulated = 346) were found. These differentially expressed genes mainly enriched into negative regulation of catabolic process, autophagy, and cellular catabolic process, intrinsic apoptotic, apoptotic, and regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway, cellular response to abiotic stimulus, external stimuli, stress, and radiation. These differentially expressed genes were obviously enriched in NF-kB signaling pathway. RSV at the concentration of 48 μM markedly weakened the viability of the cells after 24 h of treatment (87% vs 100%, P < 0.05). No obvious difference was observed between the 6, 12, and 24 μM groups (106% vs 100%, 104% vs 100%, 103% vs 100%, P > 0.05). RSV (24 μM) also markedly depressed the levels of PGE2 and NO induced by IL-1β by 25% and 29% respectively (P < 0.05). Our experiment pointed out that RSV could dramatically inhibit the inflammatory response induced by IL-1β, including the MMP-13, MMP-3, and MMP-1 in human OA chondrocytes by 50%, 35%, and 33% respectively. On the other hand, RSV inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-3, MMP-13, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOs) expression (P < 0.05), while increased collagen-II and aggrecan levels (P < 0.05). From a mechanistic perspective, RSV inhibited the degradation of IκB-α as well as the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) induced by IL-1β.

CONCLUSION

In summary, RSV regulates the signaling pathway of NF-κB, thus inhibiting inflammation and matrix degradation in chondrocytes. More studies should be focused on the treatment efficacy of RSV for OA in vivo.

Resveratrol Modulates Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-β) Signaling Pathway for Disease Therapy: A New Insight into Its Pharmacological Activities

Resveratrol (Res) is a well-known natural product that can exhibit important pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory. An evaluation of its therapeutic effects demonstrates that this naturally occurring bioactive compound can target different molecular pathways to exert its pharmacological actions. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is an important molecular pathway that is capable of regulating different cellular mechanisms such as proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. TGF-β has been reported to be involved in the development of disorders such as diabetes, cancer, inflammatory disorders, fibrosis, cardiovascular disorders, etc. In the present review, the relationship between Res and TGF-β has been investigated. It was noticed that Res can inhibit TGF-β to suppress the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. In addition, Res can improve fibrosis by reducing inflammation via promoting TGF-β down-regulation. Res has been reported to be also beneficial in the amelioration of diabetic complications via targeting the TGF-β signaling pathway. These topics are discussed in detail in this review to shed light on the protective effects of Res mediated via the modulation of TGF-β signaling.