Comparison of marker gene expression in chondrocytes from patients receiving autologous chondrocyte transplantation versus osteoarthritis patients

Currently, autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is used to treat traumatic cartilage damage or osteochondrosis dissecans, but not degenerative arthritis. Since substantial refinements in the isolation, expansion and transplantation of chondrocytes have been made in recent years, the treatment of early stage osteoarthritic lesions using ACT might now be feasible. In this study, we determined the gene expression patterns of osteoarthritic (OA) chondrocytes ex vivo after primary culture and subculture and compared these with healthy chondrocytes ex vivo and with articular chondrocytes expanded for treatment of patients by ACT. Gene expression profiles were determined using quantitative RT-PCR for type I, II and X collagen, aggrecan, IL-1β and activin-like kinase-1. Furthermore, we tested the capability of osteoarthritic chondrocytes to generate hyaline-like cartilage by implanting chondrocyte-seeded collagen scaffolds into immunodeficient (SCID) mice. OA chondrocytes ex vivo showed highly elevated levels of IL-1β mRNA, but type I and II collagen levels were comparable to those of healthy chondrocytes. After primary culture, IL-1β levels decreased to baseline levels, while the type II and type I collagen mRNA levels matched those found in chondrocytes used for ACT. OA chondrocytes generated type II collagen and proteoglycan-rich cartilage transplants in SCID mice. We conclude that after expansion under suitable conditions, the cartilage of OA patients contains cells that are not significantly different from those from healthy donors prepared for ACT. OA chondrocytes are also capable of producing a cartilage-like tissue in the in vivo SCID mouse model. Thus, such chondrocytes seem to fulfil the prerequisites for use in ACT treatment

Extracellular Matrix Stiffness and Composition Regulate the Myofibroblast Differentiation of Vaginal Fibroblasts

Fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation is a key feature of wound-healing in soft tissues, including the vagina. Vaginal fibroblasts maintain the integrity of the vaginal wall tissues, essential to keep pelvic organs in place and avoid pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The micro-environment of vaginal tissues in POP patients is stiffer and has different extracellular matrix (ECM) composition than healthy vaginal tissues. In this study, we employed a series of matrices with known stiffnesses, as well as vaginal ECMs, in combination with vaginal fibroblasts from POP and healthy tissues to investigate how matrix stiffness and composition regulate myofibroblast differentiation in vaginal fibroblasts. Stiffness was positively correlated to production of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Vaginal ECMs induced myofibroblast differentiation as both α-SMA and collagen gene expressions were increased. This differentiation was more pronounced in cells seeded on POP-ECMs that were stiffer than those derived from healthy tissues and had higher collagen and elastin protein content. We showed that stiffness and ECM content regulate vaginal myofibroblast differentiation. We provide preliminary evidence that vaginal fibroblasts might recognize POP-ECMs as scar tissues that need to be remodeled. This is fundamentally important for tissue repair, and provides a rational basis for POP disease modelling and therapeutic innovations in vaginal reconstruction

Endogenous Collagen Influences Differentiation of Human Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells that, in the presence of appropriate stimuli, can differentiate into different lineages such as the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages. In the presence of ascorbic acid, MSCs secrete an extracellular matrix mainly composed of collagen type I. Here we assessed the potential role of endogenous collagen synthesis in hMSC differentiation and stem cell maintenance. We observed a sharp reduction in proliferation rate of hMSCs in the absence of ascorbic acid, concomitant with a reduction in osteogenesis in vitro and bone formation in vivo. In line with a positive role for collagen type I in osteogenesis, gene expression profiling of hMSCs cultured in the absence of ascorbic acid demonstrated increased expression of genes involved in adipogenesis and chondrogenesis and a reduction in expression of osteogenic genes. We also observed that matrix remodeling and anti-osteoclastogenic signals were high in the presence of ascorbic acid. The presence of collagen type I during the expansion phase of hMSCs did not affect their osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential. In conclusion, the collagenous matrix supports both proliferation and differentiation of osteogenic hMSCs but, on the other hand, presents signals stimulating matrix remodeling and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis

Mechanical stiffness of TMJ condylar cartilage increases after artificial aging by ribose

Objective: Aging is accompanied by a series of changes in mature tissues that influence their properties and functions. Collagen, as one of the main extracellular components of cartilage, becomes highly crosslinked during aging. In this study, the aim was to examine whether a correlation exists between collagen crosslinking induced by artificial aging and mechanical properties of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyle. To evaluate this hypothesis, collagen crosslinks were induced using ribose incubation. Methods: Porcine TMJ condyles were incubated for 7 days with different concentrations of ribose. The compressive modulus and stiffness ratio (incubated versus control) was determined after loading. Glycosaminoglycan and collagen content, and the number of crosslinks were analyzed. Tissue structure was visualized by microscopy using different staining methods. Results: Concomitant with an increasing concentration of ribose, an increase of collagen crosslinks was found. The number of crosslinks increased almost 50 fold after incubation with the highest concentration of ribose. Simultaneously, the stiffness ratio of the samples showed a significant increase after incubation with the ribose. Pearson correlation analyses showed a significant positive correlation between the overall stiffness ratio and the crosslink level; the higher the number of crosslinks the higher the stiffness. Conclusion: The present model, in which ribose was used to mimic certain aspects of age-related changes, can be employed as an in vitro model to study age-related mechanical changes in the TMJ condyle

Age-dependent shifts in renal response to injury relate to altered BMP6/CTGF expression and signaling

Age is associated with an increased prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which, through progressive tissue damage and fibrosis, ultimately leads to loss of kidney function. Although much effort is put into studying CKD development experimentally, age has rarely been taken into account. Therefore, we investigated the effect of age on the development of renal tissue damage and fibrosis in a mouse model of obstructive nephropathy (i.e., unilateral ureter obstruction; UUO). We observed that after 14 days, obstructed kidneys of old mice had more tubulointerstitial atrophic damage but less fibrosis than those of young mice. This was associated with reduced connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and higher bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) expression and pSMAD1/5/8 signaling, while transforming growth factor-β expression and transcriptional activity were no different in obstructed kidneys of old and young mice. In vitro, CTGF bound to and inhibited BMP6 activity. In summary, our data suggest that in obstructive nephropathy atrophy increases and fibrosis decreases with age and that this relates to increased BMP signaling, most likely due to higher BMP6 and lower CTGF expression

Loss of fibulin-4 results in abnormal collagen fibril assembly in bone, caused by impaired lysyl oxidase processing and collagen cross-linking

The extracellular matrix protein fibulin-4 has been shown to be indispensable for elastic fiber assembly, but there is also evidence from human mutations that it is involved in controlling skeletal development and bone stability. Fibulin-4 mutations were identified in patients suffering from vascular abnormality and/or cutis laxa, and some of these patients exhibited bone fragility, arachnodactyly and joint laxity. In order to elucidate the role of fibulin-4 in bone structure and skeletal development, we analyzed structural changes in skeletal tissues of FbIn(-/-) mice. Immunostaining confirmed that fibulin-4 is highly expressed in cartilage, bone, ligaments and tendons. No morphological abnormalities were found in the skeleton of FbIn(-/-) mice as compared to wild type littermates except forelimb contractures as well as unusually thick collagen fibrils. Furthermore, fibulin-4 deficiency caused enhanced susceptibility of bone collagen for acid extraction, consistent with significantly reduced lysylpyridinoline and hydroxylysylpyridinoline cross-links in bone. In accordance with that, the amount of lysyl oxidase in long bones and calvaria was strongly decreased and proteolytic activation of lysyl oxidase was reduced in fibulin-4 deficient osteoblasts, while addition of recombinant fibulin-4 rescued the activation. The finding suggested that fibulin-4 is important for the proteolytic activation of lysyl oxidase which has a pivotal role in cross-linking of collagen and elastin. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Non-enzymatic cross-linking of collagen type II fibrils is tuned via osmolality switch

An important aspect in cartilage ageing is accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) after exposure to sugars. Advanced glycation results in crosslinks formation between the collagen fibrils in articular cartilage, hampering their flexibility and making cartilage more brittle. In the current study, we investigate whether collagen crosslinking after exposure to sugars depends on the stretching condition of the collagen fibrils. Healthy equine cartilage specimens were exposed to L-threose sugar and placed in hypo-, iso- or hyper-osmolal conditions that expanded or shrank the tissue and changed the 3D conformation of collagen fibrils. We applied micro-indentation tests, contrast enhanced micro-computed tomography, biochemical measurement of pentosidine cross-links, and cartilage surface color analysis to assess the effects of advanced glycation cross-linking under these different conditions. Swelling of extracellular matrix due to hypo-osmolality made cartilage less susceptible to advanced glycation, namely, the increase in effective Young's modulus was approximately 80% lower in hypo-osmolality compared to hyper-osmolality and pentosidine content per collagen was 47% lower. These results indicate that healthy levels of glycosaminoglycans not only keep cartilage stiffness at appropriate levels by swelling and pre-stressed collagen fibrils, but also protect collagen fibrils from adverse effects of advanced glycation. These findings highlight the fact that collagen fibrils and therefore cartilage can be protected from further advanced glycation ('ageing') by maintaining the joint environment at sufficiently low osmolality. Understanding of mechanochemistry of collagen fibrils provided here might evoke potential ageing prohibiting strategies against cartilage deterioration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved