RNA-seq of rat Achilles tendon tissue from pefloxacin and/or dexamethasone treated animals

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. Achilles tendon mRNA profiles of vehicle-, pefloxacin-, dexamethasone-, or pefloxacin+dexamethasone-treated rats.