Diosgenin inhibits IL-1ß-induced expression of inflammatory mediators in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes.

It is well known that the inflammatory cytokines play important roles in osteoarthritis (OA). Diosgenin is a steroidal saponin found in several plants including Solanum and Dioscorea species and possesses diverse biological activities including anti-inflammatory properties. However, the role of diosgenin in inflammatory responses in OA chondrocytes is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of diosgenin in human OA chondrocytes. We found that diosgenin inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induced by interleukin-1-beta (IL-1ß). Diosgenin significantly inhibited the IL-1ß-stimulated expression of metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), MMP-13, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in human OA chondrocytes. In addition, diosgenin suppressed the degradation of IκB-α in IL-1ß-induced human OA chondrocytes. Taken together, this study showed that diosgenin can effectively inhibit the IL-1ß-induced expression of inflammatory mediators, suggesting that diosgenin may be a potential agent in the treatment of OA.

Promoter hypermethylation of the cysteine protease RECK may cause metastasis of osteosarcoma.

The present study examined the role of reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) promoter hypermethylation as a causative factor in metastasis of osteosarcoma. Using human pathological samples, it is demonstrated that RECK, a cysteine protease that reversibly regulates expression of matrix metalloproteases like matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), is transcriptionally inhibited in osteosarcoma, especially metastatic variants. This result comes from its promoter hypermethylation, as evaluated in the present study by methylation-specific PCR reaction. The expression of RECK was also significantly diminished in the metastatic variants of osteosarcoma. This downregulation of RECK in advanced grades of osteosarcoma and metastatic grades was also associated with the increased expression of invadosome-specific markers like MMP9, phospho-FAK, and integrins, suggesting the complex contributions of RECK in the prevention of metastasis and its downregulation as a causative factor in osteosarcoma metastasis.

Shikonin protects chondrocytes from interleukin-1beta-induced apoptosis by regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Chondrocyte apoptosis is mostly responsible for the development and progression of osteoarthritis. IL-1ß is generally served as an agent that induces chondrocyte apoptosis. Shikonin exerts its anti-inflammatory effect on cartilage protection in vivo. We aimed to explore the protective effect of shikonin on interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß)-induced chondrocyte apoptosis and the potential molecular mechanisms. Chondrocytes were isolated from the joints of newborn Sprague-Dawley rats. The MTT assay and LDH cell death assay were used to determine the cell viability and chondrocyte apoptosis was detected by Annexin-V/PI staining and nucleosomal degradation. The contents of phosphorylated-PI3K (p-PI3k), phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Bcl-2, Bax, and cytochrome c were detected by Western blotting. A quantitative colorimetric assay was used to detect the caspase-3 activity. Our results showed that pretreatment with shikonin (4 µM) inhibited cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by IL-1ß (10 ng/ml) in chondrocytes. Shikonin pretreatment also decreased the activity of IL-1ß that decreased Bcl-2 expression and levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt, and increased Bax expression, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 activation. It also reversed the activity of IL-1ß that promoted the synthesis of matrix metalloproteinase-13 and inhibited the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 expression, with the net effect of suppressing extracellular matrix degradation. These data suggested that shikonin may protect chondrocytes from apoptosis induced by IL-1ß through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, by deactivating caspase-3.