Platelet-rich plasma plays a protective role in chondrocytes by regulating synovitis / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Studies have confirmed that inflammatory factors secreted by synovitis that accelerate the catabolism of articular cartilage have become the main cause of osteoarthritis. Matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 play a key role in osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To study the effective mechanism of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of osteoarthritis. METHODS: The rat knee synovial cells and chondrocytes were isolated and extracted separately. The blood samples of rats were extracted to prepare PRP preparation. Then, synovial cells were divided into a control group and an E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment group, where synovial cells were stimulated with LPS to create a synovitis model. The synovitis cells were further divided into a PRP treatment group and an untreated group. The cells in each group were cultured for 24 hours. A portion of the medium was taken, in which the levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α was detected using ELISA. The other part of the medium was used to treat chondrocytes. After 48 hours of culture, the changes of type I, II collagens, matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 protein levels in chondrocytes were detected by western blot. The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 mRNA were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Determined by the ELISA, the levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the synovial cell culture medium of the LPS treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group and the PRP treatment group (P < 0.01). The levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the medium of PRP treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Western blot showed that the expression of type I and II collagens in the chondrocytes of the PRP treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control and LPS treatment groups (P < 0.01); the expression of type I and II collagens in the chondrocytes of the LPS treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 proteins in the LPS treatment group were significantly higher than those in the PRP treatment and control groups (P < 0.01). PCR analysis showed that the mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in the LPS treatment group was significantly higher than that in the PRP treatment and control groups. The findings of this study reveal that PRP treatment can reduce interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels in synovial cells, decrease matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 protein and mRNA levels in chondrocytes, and increase type I and II collagen expression, thereby protecting the cartilage.