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Objective: To investigate the role of the heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan perlecan (HSPG-2) in regulating fibroblast growth factor (FGF) activity, bone and joint growth, and the onset and progression of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA) in a mouse gene-knockout model., Methods: Maturational changes were evaluated histologically in the knees of 3-, 6-, and 12-week-old wild-type (WT) mice and Hspg2(Δ3-/Δ3-) mice (Hspg2 lacking domain 1 HS, generated by ablation of exon 3 of perlecan). Cartilage damage, subchondral bone sclerosis, osteophytosis, and synovial inflammation were scored at 4 and 8 weeks after surgical induction of OA in WT and Hspg2(Δ3-/Δ3-) mice. Changes in cartilage expression of FGF-2, FGF-18, HSPG-2, FGF receptor 1 (FGFR-1), and FGFR-3 were examined immunohistochemically. Femoral head cartilage from both mouse genotypes was cultured in the presence or absence of interleukin-1α (IL-1α), FGF-2, and FGF-18, and the content and release of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) for key matrix molecules, enzymes, and inhibitors were quantified., Results: No effect of perlecan HS ablation on growth plate or joint development was detected. After induction of OA, Hspg2(Δ3-/Δ3-) mice had significantly reduced cartilage erosion, osteophytosis, and synovitis. OA-induced loss of chondrocyte expression of FGF-2, FGF-18, and HSPG-2 occurred in both genotypes. Expression of FGFR-1 after OA induction was maintained in WT mice, while FGFR-3 loss after OA induction was significantly reduced in Hspg2(Δ3-/Δ3-) mice. There were no genotypic differences in GAG content or release between unstimulated control cartilage and IL-1α-stimulated cartilage. However, IL-1α-induced cartilage expression of Mmp3 mRNA was significantly reduced in Hspg2(Δ3-/Δ3-) mice. Cartilage GAG release in either the presence or absence of IL-1α was unaltered by FGF-2 in both genotypes. In cartilage cultures with FGF-18, IL-1α-stimulated GAG loss was significantly reduced only in Hspg2(Δ3-/Δ3-) mice, and this was associated with maintained expression of Fgfr3 mRNA and reduced expression of Mmp2/Mmp3 mRNA., Conclusion: Perlecan HS has significant roles in directing the development of posttraumatic OA, potentially via the alteration of FGF/HS/FGFR signaling. These data suggest that the chondroprotection conferred by perlecan HS ablation could be attributed, at least in part, to the preservation of FGFR-3 and increased FGF signaling., (© 2016, American College of Rheumatology.)

Objective: To explore the involvement of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) and PAR-2 in the pathologic processes of osteoarthritis (OA) and to identify the cells/tissues primarily affected by ablation of PAR-1 or PAR-2 in mice., Methods: OA was induced in the joints of wild-type (WT), PAR-1(+/+) , PAR-1(-/-) , and PAR-2(-/-) mice by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM), and scores of histologic features (cartilage aggrecan loss and erosion, subchondral bone sclerosis, osteophytes, and synovitis) were compared at 1, 4, and 8 weeks post-DMM. The effects of PAR ablation on cartilage degradation and chondrocyte metalloproteinase expression/activity were studied in cultures of mouse femoral head tissue with or without interleukin-1α (IL-1α). At 1 week post-DMM, synovial expression of cytokines and metalloproteinase genes was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and populations of inflammatory cells were quantified by flow cytometry., Results: Deletion of PAR-2, but not that of PAR-1, in mice significantly delayed the progression of cartilage damage and inhibited subchondral bone sclerosis following DMM. There was no inhibitory effect of PAR-1 or PAR-2 ablation on IL-1α-induced cartilage degradation or chondrocyte metalloproteinase expression/activation. A low but significant level of synovitis persisted in mice subjected to DMM compared to that in control mice subjected to sham surgery, but no differences between the genotypes were seen 4 or 8 weeks post-DMM. One week after DMM, increased synovial expression of proinflammatory cytokines and metalloproteinase genes, along with increased levels of CD4+ T cells, inflammatory monocytes, and activated macrophages, were seen in all genotypes. However, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of activated macrophages in PAR-2(-/-) mice compared to PAR-1(-/-) and WT mice., Conclusion: Deletion of PAR-2, but not that of PAR-1, results in a significant decrease in DMM-induced cartilage damage. The chondroprotection in PAR-2(-/-) mice appears to occur indirectly through modulation of extracartilaginous events such as subchondral bone remodeling and synovial macrophage activation, rather than through alteration of chondrocyte catabolic responses., (Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.)

Objective: Levels of activated protein C (APC) are elevated in the synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and increased APC levels are correlated with the levels of active matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2). This study sought to investigate whether APC is a relevant protein for activation of MMPs in the degradation of human OA cartilage, and to elucidate its mechanisms of action., Methods: Human articular cartilage was cultured with or without interleukin-1α (IL-1α), in the presence or absence of APC or protein C, and an MMP or serine proteinase inhibitor. Aggrecan and collagen release and chondrocyte gene expression levels were quantified. Aggrecanase and MMP cleavage of aggrecan was examined with neoepitope-specific antibodies, and MMP activity was measured using gelatin zymography and fluorogenic peptide assay., Results: In human OA cartilage, APC induced aggrecan and collagen release, whereas in non-OA cartilage, costimulation with IL-1α was required. Inhibition of MMP activity reduced APC-induced cartilage proteolysis, and MMP-induced aggrecanolysis was confirmed by Western blotting. In cultures with APC alone, the activity of MMPs 2, 9, and 13 was significantly increased in OA cartilage, although APC could not directly activate MMPs 2 or 9. Expression of MMP1, MMP2, MMP9, MMP13, TIMP1, and TIMP3 was not altered by APC in OA cartilage. Human OA chondrocytes expressed messenger RNA for protein C, endothelial protein C receptor, thrombomodulin, and protease-activated receptor 1, but these were unaltered or down-regulated by APC. The induction of MMP activation and cartilage degradation by APC was dependent on its serine protease activity., Conclusion: APC is a physiologically relevant activator of MMPs and cartilage breakdown in human OA. The effects of APC are dependent on its proteolytic activity and as-yet-undefined cell and/or cartilage matrix factors, and inhibition of this pathway may provide a novel therapeutic target to halt the progression of cartilage damage in OA., (Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.)