C57 mouse_knee_chondrocytes_eukaryotic_transcriptome (6G_T7)

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized primarily by chondrocytopenia and cartilage matrix degradation. Superficial articular chondrocytes reside in the outermost layer of articular cartilage, which is in direct contact with synovial fluid. These chondrocytes are the first to respond to friction and joint stress, and consequently, they are the first to be damaged in osteoarthritis. In this study, early-stage superficial articular cartilage damage was observed via clinical arthroscopy, and early osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage tissue was collected for histological examination. Additionally, early OA was successfully modeled in an in vitro cellular assay, where the inflammatory envcalcium ionment inhibited the proliferative capacity of chondrocytes and activated multiple inflammatory pathways. Aberrant activation of the mechanosignaling pathway Piezo1, sensitization of mechanotransduction, and disruption of the cytoskeleton promote the progression of osteoarthritis when cyclic cellular stretching occurs in an inflammatory envcalcium ionment. These findings elucidate the role of superficial chondrocytes in early osteoarthritis and offer valuable insights into the clinical management of the disease.

骨关节炎（Osteoarthritis）是一类以软骨细胞减少与软骨基质降解为核心特征的慢性退行性关节疾病。位于关节软骨最外层的浅表层关节软骨细胞，可直接与滑液（synovial fluid）接触，这类细胞是最早响应摩擦与关节应力的细胞群，因此也是骨关节炎病程中首批受损的细胞。本研究通过临床关节镜（arthroscopy）观察到早期浅表层关节软骨损伤，并采集早期骨关节炎（OA）软骨组织开展组织学检测（histological examination）。此外，本研究成功构建体外细胞实验模型，模拟炎症环境下的病理状态：在此环境中，炎症刺激可抑制软骨细胞的增殖能力，并激活多条炎症信号通路。当炎症环境下出现周期性细胞牵拉刺激时，机械信号通路Piezo1的异常激活、机械转导（mechanotransduction）敏感性增强以及细胞骨架（cytoskeleton）结构破坏，均可促进骨关节炎的病情进展。上述研究结果阐明了浅表层软骨细胞在早期骨关节炎中的作用机制，为该疾病的临床诊疗提供了极具价值的理论参考与研究思路。