The development of the skeleton and osteoarthritis
Keywords:
Articular cartilage, osteoarthritis, chondrocyte differentiation, integrins, Indian hedgehog, GDF-5Abstract
Articular cartilage unlike the growth plate cartilage, is a specialized tissue to keep uncalcified.
However, the mineralization of articular cartilage is a common process in the osteoarthritis
(OA) and aging complications. Some studies shows similarities in the mechanisms of growth
plate differentiation and articular cartilage degeneration. These include chondrocyte prolifera-
tion, hypertrophy, extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization and apoptosis. The growth plate
development is regulated by certain growth factors signaling and interactions of chondrocytes
with extracellular matrix molecules. Related Protein Parathyroid Hormone (PthrP) and Indian
hedgehog (Ihh) are central mediators of endochondral bone development, PthrP is abundant in
the synovial fluid of OA patients but decreased the expression of Ihh in the cartilage with OA .
Furthermore, PthrP is known to induce the proliferation of chondrocytes, while the Fibroblast
Growth Factor 18 (Fgf-18) negative regulates it and their application intra-synovial in OA rats
results in the generation of cartilage. Wnt signaling plays an important role in the differentiation
of chondrocyte growth plate, Wnt-5a promotes chondrocyte prehipertrofia but simultaneously
inhibits cartilage hypertrophy, on the contrary Wnt-4 induces chondrocyte hypertrophy and
from the early stages of OA increases its expression in the articular cartilage.
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