Effect of dynamic compression on meniscus tissue explants in the presence and absence of IL-1

Meniscus injuries are highly prevalent and are linked to the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). The inflammatory cytokine IL-1 is elevated in synovial fluid following knee injuries, causes degradation of meniscus tissue, and inhibits meniscus repair. Dynamic mechanical compression of meniscus tissue has been shown to improve integrative repair in the presence of IL-1; however, there remains a dearth of knowledge on global effects of loading on meniscus cell phenotype and transcriptomic profiles. In this study, we performed mRNA-Seq on meniscus tissue explants from inner and outer zone regions of porcine menisci subjected to dynamic compression in the presence and absence of IL-1 to identify cellular responses to mechanical load, identify differences in response to load based on zonal characteristics, and identify IL-1 induced inflammatory responses modulated by load. Overall design: RNA-Seq of inner and outer zone porcine meniscus tissue explants subjected to 10% dynamic compression at 1Hz in the presence or absence of IL-1 (n=3/group)