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Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 11, Issue 12 | Pages 862 - 872
1 Dec 2022
Wang M Tan G Jiang H Liu A Wu R Li J Sun Z Lv Z Sun W Shi D

Aims

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease worldwide, which is characterized by articular cartilage lesions. With more understanding of the disease, OA is considered to be a disorder of the whole joint. However, molecular communication within and between tissues during the disease process is still unclear. In this study, we used transcriptome data to reveal crosstalk between different tissues in OA.

Methods

We used four groups of transcription profiles acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, including articular cartilage, meniscus, synovium, and subchondral bone, to screen differentially expressed genes during OA. Potential crosstalk between tissues was depicted by ligand-receptor pairs.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 11, Issue 10 | Pages 700 - 714
4 Oct 2022
Li J Cheung W Chow SK Ip M Leung SYS Wong RMY

Aims

Biofilm-related infection is a major complication that occurs in orthopaedic surgery. Various treatments are available but efficacy to eradicate infections varies significantly. A systematic review was performed to evaluate therapeutic interventions combating biofilm-related infections on in vivo animal models.

Methods

Literature research was performed on PubMed and Embase databases. Keywords used for search criteria were “bone AND biofilm”. Information on the species of the animal model, bacterial strain, evaluation of biofilm and bone infection, complications, key findings on observations, prevention, and treatment of biofilm were extracted.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 11, Issue 8 | Pages 594 - 607
17 Aug 2022
Zhou Y Li J Xu F Ji E Wang C Pan Z

Aims

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease characterized by chronic inflammatory articular cartilage degradation. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been previously indicated to play an important role in inflammation-related diseases. Herein, the current study set out to explore the involvement of lncRNA H19 in OA.

Methods

Firstly, OA mouse models and interleukin (IL)-1β-induced mouse chondrocytes were established. Expression patterns of IL-38 were determined in the synovial fluid and cartilage tissues from OA patients. Furthermore, the targeting relationship between lncRNA H19, tumour protein p53 (TP53), and IL-38 was determined by means of dual-luciferase reporter gene, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Subsequent to gain- and loss-of-function assays, the levels of cartilage damage and proinflammatory factors were further detected using safranin O-fast green staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in vivo, respectively, while chondrocyte apoptosis was measured using Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) in vitro.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 11, Issue 2 | Pages 49 - 60
1 Feb 2022
Li J Wong RMY Chung YL Leung SSY Chow SK Ip M Cheung W

Aims

With the ageing population, fragility fractures have become one of the most common conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate whether microbiological outcomes and fracture-healing in osteoporotic bone is worse than normal bone with fracture-related infection (FRI).

Methods

A total of 120 six-month-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized to six groups: Sham, sham + infection (Sham-Inf), sham with infection + antibiotics (Sham-Inf-A), ovariectomized (OVX), OVX + infection (OVX-Inf), and OVX + infection + antibiotics (OVX-Inf-A). Open femoral diaphysis fractures with Kirschner wire fixation were performed. Staphylococcus aureus at 4 × 104 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml was inoculated. Rats were euthanized at four and eight weeks post-surgery. Radiography, micro-CT, haematoxylin-eosin, mechanical testing, immunohistochemistry (IHC), gram staining, agar plating, crystal violet staining, and scanning electron microscopy were performed.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 10, Issue 11 | Pages 704 - 713
1 Nov 2021
Zhang H Li J Xiang X Zhou B Zhao C Wei Q Sun Y Chen J Lai B Luo Z Li A

Aims

Tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) has been identified as an inhibitor of oxidative stress-induced injury and apoptosis in human neural stem cells. However, the role of tBHQ in osteoarthritis (OA) is unclear. This study was carried out to investigate the role of tBHQ in OA.

Methods

OA animal model was induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). Different concentrations of tBHQ (25 and 50 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected in ten-week-old female mice. Chondrocytes were isolated from articular cartilage of mice and treated with 5 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 10 ng/ml interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) for 24 hours, and then treated with different concentrations of tBHQ (10, 20, and 40 μM) for 12 hours. The expression levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in blood were measured. The expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) leptin in plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway proteins, and macrophage repolarization-related markers, were detected by western blot.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 10, Issue 1 | Pages 41 - 50
1 Jan 2021
Wong RMY Choy VMH Li J Li TK Chim YN Li MCM Cheng JCY Leung K Chow SK Cheung WH

Aims

Fibrinolysis plays a key transition step from haematoma formation to angiogenesis and fracture healing. Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV) is a non-invasive biophysical modality proven to enhance fibrinolytic factors. This study investigates the effect of LMHFV on fibrinolysis in a clinically relevant animal model to accelerate osteoporotic fracture healing.

Methods

A total of 144 rats were randomized to four groups: sham control; sham and LMHFV; ovariectomized (OVX); and ovariectomized and LMHFV (OVX-VT). Fibrinolytic potential was evaluated by quantifying fibrin, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) along with healing outcomes at three days, one week, two weeks, and six weeks post-fracture.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 10, Issue 1 | Pages 51 - 59
1 Jan 2021
Li J Ho WTP Liu C Chow SK Ip M Yu J Wong HS Cheung W Sung JJY Wong RMY

Aims

The effect of the gut microbiota (GM) and its metabolite on bone health is termed the gut-bone axis. Multiple studies have elucidated the mechanisms but findings vary greatly. A systematic review was performed to analyze current animal models and explore the effect of GM on bone.

Methods

Literature search was performed on PubMed and Embase databases. Information on the types and strains of animals, induction of osteoporosis, intervention strategies, determination of GM, assessment on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality, and key findings were extracted.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 9, Issue 11 | Pages 751 - 760
1 Nov 2020
Li Y Lin X Zhu M Xun F Li J Yuan Z Liu Y Xu H

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the effect of solute carrier family 20 member 2 (SLC20A2) gene mutation (identified from a hereditary multiple exostoses family) on chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation.

Methods

ATDC5 chondrocytes were cultured in insulin-transferrin-selenium medium to induce differentiation. Cells were transfected with pcDNA3.0 plasmids with either a wild-type (WT) or mutated (MUT) SLC20A2 gene. The inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration in the medium of cells was determined. The expression of markers of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, the Indian hedgehog (Ihh), and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) pathway were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 7, Issue 6 | Pages 397 - 405
1 Jun 2018
Morcos MW Al-Jallad H Li J Farquharson C Millán JL Hamdy RC Murshed M

Objectives

Bone fracture healing is regulated by a series of complex physicochemical and biochemical processes. One of these processes is bone mineralization, which is vital for normal bone development. Phosphatase, orphan 1 (PHOSPHO1), a skeletal tissue-specific phosphatase, has been shown to be involved in the mineralization of the extracellular matrix and to maintain the structural integrity of bone. In this study, we examined how PHOSPHO1 deficiency might affect the healing and quality of fracture callus in mice.

Methods

Tibial fractures were created and then stabilized in control wild-type (WT) and Phospho1-/- mice (n = 16 for each group; mixed gender, each group carrying equal number of male and female mice) at eight weeks of age. Fractures were allowed to heal for four weeks and then the mice were euthanized and their tibias analyzed using radiographs, micro-CT (μCT), histology, histomorphometry and three-point bending tests.


Bone & Joint Research
Vol. 6, Issue 10 | Pages 602 - 609
1 Oct 2017
Jin A Cobb J Hansen U Bhattacharya R Reinhard C Vo N Atwood R Li J Karunaratne A Wiles C Abel R

Objectives

Bisphosphonates (BP) are the first-line treatment for preventing fragility fractures. However, concern regarding their efficacy is growing because bisphosphonate is associated with over-suppression of remodelling and accumulation of microcracks. While dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning may show a gain in bone density, the impact of this class of drug on mechanical properties remains unclear. We therefore sought to quantify the mechanical strength of bone treated with BP (oral alendronate), and correlate data with the microarchitecture and density of microcracks in comparison with untreated controls.

Methods

Trabecular bone from hip fracture patients treated with BP (n = 10) was compared with naïve fractured (n = 14) and non-fractured controls (n = 6). Trabecular cores were synchrotron scanned and micro-CT scanned for microstructural analysis, including quantification of bone volume fraction, microarchitecture and microcracks. The specimens were then mechanically tested in compression.