Pathway-focused (Ostegenesis) gene expression analysis of healthy, injured and treated rat entheses samples

In the present study, a defect was created in the patellar enthesis of a rat model, and treatment was provided using two versions of a biphasic silk fibroin scaffold showing two different transition morphology between the phases. The study included two scaffold-treated groups, two control groups, and one native/healthy group. For the scaffold-treated groups, the defect was treated by implanting one of the two versions of the biphasic scaffolds. One scaffold showed a mixed/interconnected transition zone between the tendon and bony part of the construct (S-MT) while the transition in the other scaffold was abrupt (S-AT). Two control groups were included. In the first group, a defect was created in the patellar enthesis and the tendon was sutured back over the defect and to the bone. In the second group, a transversal cut was performed at the tendon part of the enthesis and sutured back. Samples were collected (n=8) per group at two time points (4 weeks and 12 weeks) after the surgery. Healthy (contralateral) samples were used as reference. The Qiagen Osteogenesis Pathway-focused PCR array was utilized to profile the expression of relevant osteogenic, chondrogenic, and tenogenic genes in samples from healthy, injured and treated patellar entheses samples.本研究于大鼠模型的髌腱止点（patellar enthesis）处构建缺损模型，并采用两种具备不同两相界面过渡形态的双相丝素蛋白支架（biphasic silk fibroin scaffold）进行干预治疗。本研究共设置两组支架干预组、两组对照组及一组天然健康对照组。 针对支架干预组，分别植入两种双相丝素蛋白支架中的一种以修复髌腱止点缺损：其中一款支架在肌腱与骨构建体的界面处呈现混合/相互连通的过渡区（记为S-MT），另一款支架的界面过渡则为陡峭型（记为S-AT）。 本研究设置两组对照组：第一对照组为于髌腱止点造模后，将肌腱缝合覆盖于缺损处并固定至骨面；第二对照组为仅在止点处的肌腱部分进行横切，随后将肌腱缝合复位。 术后分别于4周、12周两个时间点采集各组样本（每组n=8），以健康侧（对侧肢体）样本作为参照。 本研究采用凯杰（Qiagen）成骨通路靶向PCR芯片，对健康组、损伤组及干预组的髌腱止点样本中相关成骨、成软骨及成腱基因的表达谱进行分析。