Project description:Chronic tendon injuries, also known as tendinopathy, are common among professional and recreational athletes. These injuries result in a significant amount of morbidity and health care expenditure and yet little is known about the molecular mechanism leading to tendinopathy. We have used histological evaluation and molecular profiling to determine the gene expression changes in 23 human patients undergoing surgical procedures for the treatment of chronic tendinopathy. Diseased tendons have altered extracellular matrix, fiber disorientation, increased cellular content and vasculature and the absence of inflammatory cells. Global gene expression profiling identified 1783 transcripts with significant different expression patterns in the diseased tendons. Global pathway analysis further suggests altered expression of extracellular matrix proteins and the lack of an appreciable inflammatory response. We have identified pathways and genes regulated in tendinopathy samples that will help contribute to the understanding of the disease towards the development of novel therapeutics. A prospective study was initiated to collect tissue from patients undergoing surgery as standard of care for tendinopathy. Biopsies (~3mm^3) of diseased tendons as well as a section of grossly normal appearing tendon were collected from 23 patients. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients prior to any study related procedure.
Project description:Tendinopathy, the most common disorder affecting tendons, is characterized by chronic disorganization of the tendon matrix, which eventually leads to tendon tear and rupture. The goal of this study was to identify a rational molecular target whose blockade can serve as a potential therapeutic intervention for tendinopathy. We identified C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) as a markedly upregulated cytokine in human and rodent tendinopathy. Overexpression of CTRP3 enhanced the progression of tendinopathy by accumulating cartilaginous proteoglycans and degenerating collagenous fibers in the mouse tendon, whereas CTRP3 knockdown suppressed the tendinopathy pathogenesis. Functional blockade of CTRP3 using a neutralizing antibody ameliorated overuse-induced tendinopathy of the Achilles and rotator cuff tendons. Mechanistically, CTRP3 elicited a transcriptomic pattern that stimulates abnormal differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) and ectopic chondrification in tendons, as an effect linked to activation of Akt signaling. Collectively, we reveal an essential role for CTRP3 in tendinopathy and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of tendinopathy.
Project description:Tendinopathy, the most common disorder affecting tendons, is characterized by chronic disorganization of the tendon matrix, which eventually leads to tendon tear and rupture. The goal of this study was to identify a rational molecular target whose blockade can serve as a potential therapeutic intervention for tendinopathy. We identified C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) as a markedly upregulated cytokine in human and rodent tendinopathy. Overexpression of CTRP3 enhanced the progression of tendinopathy by accumulating cartilaginous proteoglycans and degenerating collagenous fibers in the mouse tendon, whereas CTRP3 knockdown suppressed the tendinopathy pathogenesis. Functional blockade of CTRP3 using a neutralizing antibody ameliorated overuse-induced tendinopathy of the Achilles and rotator cuff tendons. Mechanistically, CTRP3 elicited a transcriptomic pattern that stimulates abnormal differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) and ectopic chondrification in tendons, as an effect linked to activation of Akt signaling. Collectively, we reveal an essential role for CTRP3 in tendinopathy and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of tendinopathy.
Project description:Tendinopathy is characterized by rupture, pain, or loss of tendon strength. Previous basic and clinical investigations have clarified multiple risk factors, including aging and fluoroquinolone use; however, the etiology remains unclear. We combined real-world data analysis with pharmacological experiments to overcome the gap between basic and clinical research. Analyses of self-reported adverse event databases and the US commercial claims database revealed that dexamethasone prevented fluoroquinolone-induced and age-related tendinopathy. Experimental validation suggested that co-treatment with dexamethasone attenuated pefloxacin-induced mechanical fragility in rat tendons. RNA-seq was conducted to further investigate the molecular mechanism of tendinopathy, focusing on fluoroquinolone.
Project description:Tendinopathy is a common disease of the musculoskeletal system, however, the mechanism of tendinopathy has not yet been elucidated, and there are no clear conclusions about the changes in gene expression within tendinopathy. In order to better investigate the mechanisms inherent to the development of tendinopathy, we performed RNA sequencing on normal tendon cells and inflammatory tendon cells
Project description:Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a prevalent cerebrovascular condition associated with a high mortality rate, frequently results in neuronal apoptosis and an unfavorable prognosis. Recent research has indicated that the adjunctive use of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with surgical interventions exerts a therapeutic impact on SAH. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which TCM mediates apoptosis following SAH remains unclear. In the present study, HT22 mouse neuronal cells were exposed to Oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) to establish an in vitro model of SAH. The results indicated that treatment with Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) alleviated the short-term neurological deficits, reduced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, and mitigated brain edema in mice. Similarly, it attenuated OxyHb-induced apoptosis of HT22 neurons. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis was used to examine the transcriptomic changes between HT22 cells stimulated with OxyHb alone and those treated with NGR1 concurrently or independently. The RNA-seq results revealed significant alterations in the expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in OxyHb-stimulated HT22 cells upon administration of NGR1. This study explored the potential mechanism by which NGR1 mitigates neuronal apoptosis, presenting a novel therapeutic approach for treating SAH through the use of a single TCM ingredient.
Project description:Tendinopathy is a common disease in individuals whose tendons suffer from repetitive strains, such as athletes. The lack of knowledge regarding the pathological mechanisms causes inadequate prevention methods and low cure rate of this disease. Repetitive strain injury is thought to be the source of tendinopathy; therefore, we investigate the effect of mechanical loading on tendon and seek the ways to prevent and treat tendinopathy better. In our study, we found that the expression of a mechanosensitive miRNA, miR-337-3p, decreased in tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) under uniaxial cyclical mechanical loading with 10% elongation. In addition, miR-337-3p was negatively related to chondro-osteogenic differentiation of TDSCs, in which lower expression was found in human calcified tendons and rat tendinopathy samples.
Project description:Chronic tendon injuries, also known as tendinopathy, are common among professional and recreational athletes. These injuries result in a significant amount of morbidity and health care expenditure and yet little is known about the molecular mechanism leading to tendinopathy. We have used histological evaluation and molecular profiling to determine the gene expression changes in 23 human patients undergoing surgical procedures for the treatment of chronic tendinopathy. Diseased tendons have altered extracellular matrix, fiber disorientation, increased cellular content and vasculature and the absence of inflammatory cells. Global gene expression profiling identified 1783 transcripts with significant different expression patterns in the diseased tendons. Global pathway analysis further suggests altered expression of extracellular matrix proteins and the lack of an appreciable inflammatory response. We have identified pathways and genes regulated in tendinopathy samples that will help contribute to the understanding of the disease towards the development of novel therapeutics.