Tenascin-C induces inflammatory mediators and matrix degradation in osteoarthritic cartilage.

BACKGROUND: Tenascin-C (TN-C) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is involved in tissue injury and repair processes. We analyzed TN-C expression in normal and osteoarthritic (OA) human cartilage, and evaluated its capacity to induce inflammatory and catabolic mediators in chondrocytes in vitro. The effect of TN-C on proteoglycan loss from articular cartilage in culture was also assessed. METHODS: TN-C in culture media, cartilage extracts, and synovial fluid of human and animal joints was quantified using a sandwich ELISA and/or analyzed by Western immunoblotting. mRNA expression of TN-C and aggrecanases were analyzed by Taqman assays. Human and bovine primary chondrocytes and/or explant culture systems were utilized to study TN-C induced inflammatory or catabolic mediators and proteoglycan loss. Total proteoglycan and aggrecanase -generated ARG-aggrecan fragments were quantified in human and rat synovial fluids by ELISA. RESULTS: TN-C protein and mRNA expression were significantly upregulated in OA cartilage with a concomitant elevation of TN-C levels in the synovial fluid of OA patients. IL-1 enhanced TN-C expression in articular cartilage. Addition of TN-C induced IL-6, PGE2, and nitrate release and upregulated ADAMTS4 mRNA in cultured primary human and bovine chondrocytes. TN-C treatment resulted in an increased loss of proteoglycan from cartilage explants in culture. A correlation was observed between TN-C and aggrecanase generated ARG-aggrecan fragment levels in the synovial fluid of human OA joints and in the lavage of rat joints that underwent surgical induction of OA. CONCLUSIONS: TN-C expression in the knee cartilage and TN-C levels measured in the synovial fluid are significantly enhanced in OA patients. Our findings suggest that the elevated levels of TN-C could induce inflammatory mediators and promote matrix degradation in OA joints.

A robust multiplexed assay to quantify C1-inhibitor, C1q, and C4 proteins for in vitro diagnosis of hereditary angioedema from dried blood spot.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease caused by deficiency or dysfunction of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH). Plasma C1-INH activity and concentrations of C1-INH and complement components 1q and 4 (C1q, C4) are critical to the HAE diagnosis. We describe a novel multiplexed assay to simultaneously measure C1-INH, C1q, and C4 levels in dried blood spot (DBS) of HAE patients. The blood proteins were extracted from 3 mm punches of DBS samples and were subsequently digested by trypsin. The signature peptide derived from each protein was quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Analyte-depleted blood was generated as a surrogate matrix for the preparation of calibration curves to overcome the interference of endogenous proteins, and the assay reproducibility was further monitored by assessing the signal of plasma transferrin as a house-keeping protein. The assay was fully validated following regulatory guideline, with a quantification range of 12.5-800 µg/mL for C1-INH and C4 and 3.13-200 µg/mL for C1q. The precision and accuracy ranged from 3.3%-9.8% and -8.2%-12.6%, respectively. All the patient samples exhibited C1-INH levels lower than normal range except the Type II patient and the C4 and C1q concentrations were as expected. Results from the DBS-based LC-MS assay were highly correlated with the ELISA data measured in plasma of the same subjects. The method described here offers unique advantages such as less invasive sampling, minimal blood processing, and easy transportation and sample storage, allowing, for the first time, C1-INH, C4, and C1q levels to be simultaneously determined in a drop of dried blood.

Parallel comparison of three methodologies for measuring functional C1-inhibitor in Hereditary angioedema patients.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) types I and II are characterized by functional C1 inhibitor (fC1-INH) deficiency which results in bradykinin overproduction. Sensitive, specific and robust methods to quantitate fC1-INH in human samples are required for diagnosing HAE and/or to measure pharmacodynamic activity of C1-INH drugs in clinical studies. To date, three methods have been reported in literature to measure fC1-INH: conventional chromogenic assay measuring residual C1-esterase activity, and immunoassays based on functional binding to either activated complement C1s or Factor XIIa/kallikrein. We used three qualified/validated fit-for purpose methods to quantitate fC1-INH in human plasma and to conduct a parallel comparison for diagnostic purposes and as a read-out for pharmacodynamic activity. Sensitivity and specificity were determined from the Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis of the three fC1-INH methods through testing of fifty healthy control vs. HAE plasma samples. fC1-INH profile of fifteen HAE subjects, who underwent different treatment regimen in a cross-over Shire C1-INH clinical study, was analyzed in these three methods in parallel. A correlation analysis performed between these methods using data generated from clinical samples showed that profiles obtained from different fC1-INH methods matched for individual HAE subjects. Our findings suggest that functional binding immunoassay methods serve as reliable alternates for conventional chromogenic method to quantitate fC1-INH in human plasma samples with a better dynamic range of detection and ease of use. Of the two immunoassays used in this study, FXIIa-binding method gave better sensitivity, specificity, and correlation to the chromogenic method as a diagnostic method to distinguish HAE samples from healthy controls.

A first of its kind quantitative functional C1-esterase inhibitor lateral flow assay for hereditary angioedema point-of-care diagnostic testing.

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare, autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in SERPING1 gene leading to dysfunction/deficiency of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) protein and subsequent dysregulation of the contact system and bradykinin overproduction. As functional C1-INH (fC1-INH) levels are reduced in HAE types I and II (HAE-I/II), a specific, sensitive and accessible rapid diagnostic method to quantitate fC1-INH is crucial in diagnosing HAE-I/II. Previously, we developed/validated methods to detect fC1-INH levels in human plasma based on functional binding to C1s or FXIIa for C1-INH-based therapies. Quantitative fC1-INH immunoassay methods were converted to the Lateral flow assay (LFA) platform after identifying the best reagent/s pair. The assay was developed and optimized as a first of its kind LFA method for quantifying fC1-INH in human plasma to aid HAE point-of-care diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed using normal control and HAE subject plasma samples to calculate area-under-curve and a cut-off point to distinguish normal versus HAE subject samples. LFA data was correlated with the conventional diagnostic assay for fC1-INH in HAE plasma samples and profiles matched for individual subjects. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept for the quantitative fC1-INH LFA using normal and HAE plasma samples. We propose that the method could be used as a point-of-care test to diagnose HAE in a variety of settings, such as, a hospital or physician's office, at home or in an ambulance.

A novel functional C1 inhibitor activity assay in dried blood spot for diagnosis of Hereditary angioedema.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease caused by deficiency or dysfunction of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH). Timely and accurate diagnosis is an ongoing challenge. Measurement of plasma C1-INH activity is currently the critical standard test. We describe a novel and highly robust point-of-care assay to quantify C1-INH activity in dried blood spot (DBS). METHODS: C1-INH was extracted from 3 mm punches of DBS samples and incubated with excess amount of C1 esterase (C1s). The mixture was subsequentially incubated with C1s substrate, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantitation of the enzyme reaction product. RESULTS: The assay was validated within a quantification range from 100 to 1500 mU/mL. The intra-day precision and accuracy ranged from 4.0% to 11.6% and -11.1% to -2.1%, and the inter-day precision and accuracy were 8.1-13.1% and -10.3% to 0.9%, respectively. Normal C1-INH activity (n = 103) ranged from 311 to 1090 mU/mL, whereas 23 out of 24 HAE patients exhibited C1-INH activity lower than 100 mU/mL. CONCLUSION: DBS specimen collection for measurement of functional C1-INH activity in a physician's office is straightforward and not limited by logistic considerations and therefore, appropriate for the diagnosis of HAE in high throughput diagnostic laboratories.

Fibrosterol sulfates from the Philippine sponge Lissodendoryx (Acanthodoryx) fibrosa: sterol dimers that inhibit PKCzeta.

Three new sulfated sterol dimers, fibrosterol sulfates A-C (1-3), have been isolated from the sponge Lissodendoryx (Acanthodoryx) fibrosa, collected in the Philippines. The structures were assigned on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR studies as well as analysis by HRESIMS. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited PKCzeta with IC(50) values of 16.4 and 5.6 microM, respectively.

3,4-Disubstituted benzofuran P1' MMP-13 inhibitors: optimization of selectivity and reduction of protein binding.

Potent 3,4-disubstituted benzofuran P1' MMP-13 inhibitors have been prepared. Selectivity over MMP-2 was achieved through a substituent at the C4 position of the benzofuran P1' moiety of the molecule. By replacing a backbone benzene with a pyridine and valine with threonine, compounds (e.g., 44) with greatly reduced plasma protein binding were also obtained.

Immortalized mouse articular cartilage cell lines retain chondrocyte phenotype and respond to both anabolic factor BMP-2 and pro-inflammatory factor IL-1.

Articular cartilage chondrocytes help in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and function of the articular joint. Study of primary chondrocytes in culture provides information closely related to in vivo functions of these cells. Limitations in the primary culture of chondrocytes have lead to the development of cells lines that serve as good surrogate models for the study of chondrocyte biology. In this study, we report the establishment and characterization of chondrocyte cell lines, MM-Sv/HP and MM-Sv/HP-2 from mouse articular cartilage. Cells were isolated from mouse femoral head articular cartilage, immortalized and maintained in culture through numerous passages. The morphology of the cells was from fibroblastic to polygonal in nature. Gene expression studies using quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) were performed on cells in monolayer culture and cells embedded in a three-dimensional alginate matrix. Stimulation of cells in monolayer culture with anabolic factor, BMP-2, resulted in increased gene expression of the extracellular matrix molecules, aggrecan and type II collagen and their regulator transcription factor, Sox9. Treatment by pro-inflammatory IL-1 resulted in increased gene expression of catabolic effectors including Aggrecanases (ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5), MMP-13 and nitric oxide synthase (Nos2). Cells in alginate treated with BMP-2 resulted in increased synthesis of proteoglycan which was released into the conditioned media on IL-1 stimulation. Western analysis of conditioned media showed the presence of Aggrecanase-cleaved aggrecan fragments. In summary, MM-Sv/HP and MM-Sv/HP-2 show preservation of important characteristics of articular chondrocytes as examined under multiple culture conditions and would provide a useful reagent in the study of chondrocyte biology.

Spheciosterol sulfates, PKCzeta inhibitors from a philippine sponge Spheciospongia sp.

Three new sterol sulfates, spheciosterol sulfates A-C (1-3), and the known sterol sulfate topsentiasterol sulfate E (4) have been isolated from the sponge Spheciospongia sp., collected in the Philippines. Structures were assigned on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR studies as well as analysis by HRESIMS. Compounds 1-4 inhibited PKCzeta with IC50 values of 1.59, 0.53, 0.11, and 1.21 microM, respectively. In a cell-based assay, 1-4 also inhibited NF-kappaB activation with EC50 values of 12-64 microM.

Involvement of protein kinase Czeta in interleukin-1beta induction of ADAMTS-4 and type 2 nitric oxide synthase via NF-kappaB signaling in primary human osteoarthritic chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVE: Protein kinase Czeta (PKCzeta), an atypical PKC, has been found to be transcriptionally up-regulated in human osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilage. This study was undertaken to examine the role of PKCzeta in interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-induced NF-kappaB signaling in human OA chondrocytes, and ultimately to better understand its function in the regulation of downstream mediators of cartilage matrix degradation. METHODS: Pharmacologic inhibitors or genetic knockdown techniques were used to investigate the role of PKCzeta. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate phosphorylation of PKCzeta and NF-kappaB. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and activity assays were used to evaluate ADAMTS-4 expression and aggrecanase activity, respectively. Quantitative PCR, biochemical identification, and Western blot analysis were used to evaluate type 2 nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) and NO production. RESULTS: Phosphorylation of PKCzeta and NF-kappaB was induced by IL-1beta treatment in a time-dependent manner, and was specifically inhibited by inhibitors of atypical PKCs. Inhibition of PKCzeta suppressed IL-1beta-induced up-regulation of ADAMTS-4 messenger RNA (mRNA) and aggrecanase activity. Inhibitors of atypical PKCs also inhibited IL-1beta-induced NO production and NOS2 mRNA expression, demonstrating a novel link between PKCzeta and NO production. Furthermore, small interfering RNA- or short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of PKCzeta mRNA resulted in significant repression of both ADAMTS-4 and NOS2 mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Our results show that PKCzeta is involved in the regulation of IL-1beta-induced NF-kappaB signaling in human OA chondrocytes, which in turn regulates downstream expression of ADAMTS-4 and NOS2. Therefore, inhibition of PKCzeta could potentially regulate the production of matrix-degrading enzymes as well as NO production and have a profound effect on disease progression in OA.

Immortalized cell lines from mouse xiphisternum preserve chondrocyte phenotype.

Chondrocytes are unique to cartilage and the study of these cells in vitro is important for advancing our understanding of the role of these cells in normal homeostasis and disease including osteoarthritis (OA). As there are limitations to the culture of primary chondrocytes, cell lines have been developed to overcome some of these obstacles. In this study, we developed a procedure to immortalize and characterize chondrocyte cell lines from mouse xiphisternum. The cells displayed a polygonal to fibroblastic morphology in monolayer culture. Gene expression studies using quantitative PCR showed that the cell lines responded to bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) by increased expression of matrix molecules, aggrecan, and type II collagen together with transcriptional factor, Sox9. Stimulation by IL-1 results in the increased expression of catabolic effectors including MMP-13, nitric oxide synthase, ADAMTS4, and ADAMTS5. Cells cultured in alginate responded to BMP-2 by increased synthesis of proteoglycan (PG), a major matrix molecule of cartilage. IL-1 treatment of cells in alginate results in increased release of PG into the conditioned media. Further analysis of the media showed the presence of Aggrecanase-cleaved aggrecan fragments, a signature of matrix degradation. These results show that the xiphisternum chondrocyte cell lines preserve their chondrocyte phenotype cultured in either monolayer or 3-dimensional alginate bead culture systems. In summary, this study describes the establishment of chondrocyte cell lines from the mouse xiphisternum that may be useful as a surrogate model system to understand chondrocyte biology and to shed light on the underlying mechanism of pathogenesis in OA.

Protein kinase Czeta is up-regulated in osteoarthritic cartilage and is required for activation of NF-kappaB by tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 in articular chondrocytes.

Protein kinase Czeta (PKCzeta) is an intracellular serine/threonine protein kinase that has been implicated in the signaling pathways for certain inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), in some cell types. A study of gene expression in articular chondrocytes from osteoarthritis (OA) patients revealed that PKCzeta is transcriptionally up-regulated in human OA articular cartilage clinical samples. This finding led to the hypothesis that PKCzeta may be an important signaling component of cytokine-mediated cartilage matrix destruction in articular chondrocytes, believed to be an underlying factor in the pathophysiology of OA. IL-1 treatment of chondrocytes in culture resulted in rapidly increased phosphorylation of PKCzeta, implicating PKCzeta activation in the signaling pathway. Chondrocyte cell-based assays were used to evaluate the contribution of PKCzeta activity in NF-kappaB activation and extracellular matrix degradation mediated by IL-1, TNF, or sphingomyelinase. In primary chondrocytes, IL-1 and TNF-alpha caused an increase in NF-kappaB activity resulting in induction of aggrecanase-1 and aggrecanase-2 expression, with consequent increased proteoglycan degradation. This effect was blocked by the pan-specific PKC inhibitors RO 31-8220 and bisindolylmaleimide I, partially blocked by Gö 6976, and was unaffected by the PKCzeta-sparing inhibitor calphostin C. A cell-permeable PKCzeta pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor was capable of blocking TNFand IL-1-mediated NF-kappaB activation and proteoglycan degradation in chondrocyte pellet cultures. In addition, overexpression of a dominant negative PKCzeta protein effectively prevented cytokine-mediated NF-kappaB activation in primary chondrocytes. These data implicate PKCzeta as a necessary component of the IL-1 and TNF signaling pathways in chondrocytes that result in catabolic destruction of extracellular matrix proteins in osteoarthritic cartilage.

Synthesis and SAR of highly selective MMP-13 inhibitors.

The structure-based design and synthesis of a series of novel biphenyl sulfonamide carboxylic acids as potent MMP-13 inhibitors with selectivity over MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-14, Aggrecanase 1, and TACE are described.

Release of hyaluronan and hyaladherins (aggrecan G1 domain and link proteins) from articular cartilage exposed to ADAMTS-4 (aggrecanase 1) or ADAMTS-5 (aggrecanase 2).

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether aggrecanase (ADAMTS) activities in articular cartilage can directly lead to the release of hyaluronan (HA) and hyaladherins (aggrecan G1 domain and link proteins), as may occur ex vivo during stimulation of cartilage explants with interleukin-1 (IL-1) or retinoic acid or in vivo in synovial joints during aging and joint pathology. METHODS: Bovine articular cartilage discs (live or freeze-killed) were cultured in the presence of IL-1 or were incubated in digestion buffer containing recombinant human ADAMTS-4 (rHuADAMTS-4; aggrecanase 1) or rHuADAMTS-5 (aggrecanase 2). Culture media, digestion supernatants, and tissue extracts were assayed for sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content and analyzed by Western blotting to detect aggrecanase-generated G1 domain (using neoepitope monoclonal antibody AGG-C1/anti-NITEGE(373)) and link proteins (using monoclonal antibody 8-A-4), as well as by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect aggrecanase-generated G1 domain (G1-NITEGE(373)) and HA. RESULTS: IL-1 treatment of live cartilage explants induced a time-dependent release of sGAG, aggrecanase-generated G1 domain (G1-NITEGE(373)), and HA into the culture media. Exposure of live or freeze-killed articular cartilage discs to rHuADAMTS-4 or rHuADAMTS-5 resulted in a dose- and time-dependent release of sGAG and hyaluronan from the tissue, accompanied by a concomitant release of functionally intact hyaladherins (aggrecan G1-NITEGE(373) and link proteins). CONCLUSION: Coincident with aggrecanolysis, aggrecanase activities in articular cartilage may actuate the release of HA and associated hyaladherins, thereby further compromising the integrity of the cartilage matrix during degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Autocatalytic cleavage of ADAMTS-4 (Aggrecanase-1) reveals multiple glycosaminoglycan-binding sites.

ADAMTS-4, also referred to as aggrecanase-1, is a glutamyl endopeptidase capable of generating catabolic fragments of aggrecan analogous to those released from articular cartilage during degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. Efficient aggrecanase activity requires the presence of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) attached to the aggrecan core protein, implying the contribution of substrate recognition/binding site(s) to ADAMTS-4 activity. In the present study, we demonstrate that full-length ADAMTS-4 (M(r) approximately 68,000) undergoes autocatalytic C-terminal truncation to generate two discrete isoforms (M(r) approximately 53,000 and M(r) approximately 40,000), which exhibit a marked reduction in affinity of binding to sulfated GAGs. C-terminal sequencing and mass analyses revealed that the GAG-binding thrombospondin type I motif was retained following autocatalysis, indicating that sites present in the C-terminal cysteine (cys)-rich and/or spacer domains also effect binding of full-length ADAMTS-4 to sulfated GAGs. Binding-competition experiments conducted using native and deglycosylated aggrecan provided direct evidence for interaction of the ADAMTS-4 cysteine-rich/spacer domains with aggrecan GAGs. Furthermore, synthetic peptides mimicking putative (consensus) GAG-binding sequences located within the ADAMTS-4 cysteine-rich and spacer domains competitively blocked binding of sulfated GAGs to full-length ADAMTS-4, thereby identifying multiple GAG-binding sites, which may contribute to the regulation of ADAMTS-4 function.