No abstract

Glucose serves as the major energy substrate and the main precursor for the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans in chondrocytes. Facilitated glucose transport represents the first rate-limiting step in glucose metabolism. This study examines molecular regulation of facilitated glucose transport in normal human articular chondrocytes by proinflammatory cytokines. IL-1β and TNF-α, and to a lesser degree IL-6, accelerate facilitated glucose transport as measured by [3H]2-deoxyglucose uptake. IL-1β induces an increased expression of glucose transporter (GLUT) 1 mRNA and protein, and GLUT9 mRNA. GLUT3 and GLUT8 mRNA are constitutively expressed in chondrocytes and are not regulated by IL-1β. GLUT2 and GLUT4 mRNA are not detected in chondrocytes. IL-1β stimulates GLUT1 protein glycosylation and plasma membrane incorporation. IL-1β regulation of glucose transport in chondrocytes depends on protein kinase C and p38 signal transduction pathways, and does not require phosphoinositide 3-kinase, extracellular signal-related kinase, or c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation. IL-1β-accelerated glucose transport in chondrocytes is not mediated by endogenous NO or eicosanoids. These results demonstrate that stimulation of glucose transport represents a component of the chondrocyte response to IL-1β. Two classes of GLUTs are identified in chondrocytes, constitutively expressed GLUT3 and GLUT8, and the inducible GLUT1 and GLUT9.

Objectives Aging-associated changes in articular cartilage represent a main Osteoarthritis (OA) risk factor. Autophagy is an essential cellular homeostasis mechanism. Aging-associated or experimental defects in autophagy contribute to organismal and tissue specific aging while enhancement of autophagy may protect against certain aging related pathologies such as OA. The objective of this study was to determine whether glucosamine (GlcN) could activate autophagy. Methods Chondrocytes from normal human articular cartilage were treated with GlcN (0.1-10 mM). Autophagy activation and phosphorylation levels of Akt, FoxO3 and ribosomal protein S6 (prbS6) were determined by Western blotting. Autophagosome formation was analyzed by microscopy. Transgenic reporter mice with green fluorescent protein fused to LC3 (GFP-LC3 mice) were used to test changes in autophagy in response to starvation and GlcN administration. Results GlcN treatment of chondrocytes activated autophagy as indicated by increased of LC3-II levels, formation of LC3 puncta and increased LC3 turnover. This was associated with GlcN-mediated inhibition of Akt, FoxO3 and mTOR pathway. Administration of GlcN to GFP-LC3 mice markedly activated autophagy in articular cartilage. Conclusions GlcN modulates molecular targets of the autophagy pathway in vitro and in vivo and the enhancement of autophagy was mainly dependent on the Akt/FoxO and mTOR pathway. These findings suggest that GlcN is an effective autophagy activator and motivate future studies on its efficacy in modifying aging-related cellular changes and supporting joint health.

These data support the concept that lysosomal glycosidases, in particular hexosaminidase, represent a distinct subset of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes that are activated by proinflammatory stimuli.

Objective. Loss of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is an early event in osteoarthritis. Recent findings showed increased cell death in arthritic cartilage and linkage with extracellular matrix degradation. The aim of this study was to analyze the direct effect of GAG loss on chondrocyte survival and cell death following mechanical injury.Methods. In full-thickness cartilage explants from porcine knee joints, GAG was depleted by digestion with chondroitinase ABC. Explants were subjected to single-impact mechanical injury. Cell viability and the types of cell death were analyzed by Live/Dead cell assay, staining for active caspase 3, and sensitivity to caspase inhibitor.Results. GAG depletion did not directly lead to increased cell death. In chondroitinase ABC-treated explants, but not in control explants, mechanical injury caused an immediate reduction in cell viability (from 84.6% to 71.0%); the reduction was prominent in the superficial zone. This immediate cell death was not inhibited by the pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, suggesting cell necrosis. During subsequent culture, viability in these explants decreased further, to 50.5% on day 3. The second wave of cell death was reduced by the addition of Z-VAD-FMK in chondroitinase ABC-treated explants and was also associated with activation of caspase 3, suggesting apoptotic mechanisms of cell death.Conclusion. These results indicate that GAG loss alone does not directly lead to chondrocyte death. In response to mechanical injury, there is an immediate induction of necrotic cell death that is seen only in GAG-depleted explants and primarily in the superficial zone. During subsequent culture, cell death spreads via apoptotic mechanisms.

Objective Aminosugars are commonly used to treat osteoarthritis; however, molecular mechanisms mediating their anti-arthritic activities are still poorly understood. This study analyzes facilitated transport and metabolic effects of glucosamine (GlcN) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in human articular chondrocytes. Methods Human articular chondrocytes were isolated from knee cartilage. Facilitated transport of glucose, GlcN and GlcNAc was measured by uptake of [3H]2-deoxyglucose, [3H]GlcN and [3H]GlcNAc. Glucose transporter (GLUT) expression was analyzed by Western blotting. Production of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (SGAG) was measured using [35S]SO4. Hyaluronan was quantified using hyaluronan binding protein. Results Chondrocytes actively import and metabolize GlcN but not GlcNAc and this represents a cell-type specific phenomenon. Similar to facilitated glucose transport, GlcN transport in chondrocytes is accelerated by cytokines and growth factors. GlcN non-competitively inhibits basal glucose transport, which in part depends on GlcN-mediated depletion of ATP stores. In IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes, GlcN inhibits membrane translocation of GLUT1 and 6, but does not affect the expression of GLUT3. In contrast to GlcN, GlcNAc accelerates facilitated glucose transport. In parallel with the opposing actions of these aminosugars on glucose transport, GlcN inhibits hyaluronan and SGAG synthesis while GlcNAc stimulates hyaluronan synthesis. GlcNAc-accelerated hyaluronan synthesis is associated with upregulation of hyaluronan synthase-2. Conclusion Differences in GlcN and GlcNAc uptake, and their subsequent effects on glucose transport, GLUT expression and SGAG and hyaluronan synthesis, indicate that these two aminosugars have distinct molecular mechanisms mediating their differential biological activities in chondrocytes.

. Distinct pathways regulate facilitated glucose transport in human articular chondrocytes during anabolic and catabolic responses.

Rheumatoid factor (RF) B cells proliferate during secondary immune responses to immune complexed antigen and antigen specific T cells, but higher affinity RFs are not detected except in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Consequently, there must exist highly efficient mechanisms for inactivation of these higher-affinity RF B cell clones under normal circumstances. Normal individuals express low affinity IgM rheumatoid factors (RFs) on peripheral B cells, but fail to express the higher affinity ''pathologic'' RFs that are associated with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (1). Evidence has shown that RF-expressing B cells are highly efficient antigenpresenting cells for multivalent, immune complexed antigen (2, 3) and may play a role in normal secondary immune responses (4, 5). Although T cells reactive to human IgG (hIgG) are lacking due to T cell tolerance, there are abundant T cells present during a secondary immune response able to recognize peptides derived from the antigen portion of an immune complex. Under normal circumstances, the provision of antigen together with T cell help results in clonal expansion, somatic mutation, and affinity maturation of B cells (6). The absence of higher-affinity RFs in normal individuals suggests that there exist very efficient mechanisms for the peripheral elimination of B cells expressing such higher affinity, somatically mutated RFs. However, the precise mechanisms of removal of these cells have not been established. Transgenic models of autoimmunity have supported and elaborated on previously proposed mechanisms for induction of B cell tolerance. These include physical elimination of self-reactive clones (deletion) and functional inactivation (anergy) followed by reduced life span (7-15). The current study shows that in vivo encounter of transgenic B cells which express a somatically mutated, monospecific, human IgM (hIgM) RF with soluble, deaggregated human IgG (DHGG) results in abortive activation of the RF B cells followed by cell death by a Fasindependent mechanism between 2 and 3 days after antigen encounter. RF B cells show no evidence of anergy after exposure to soluble hIgG, as they are unaffected in their ability to differentiate into antibody producing cells in the presence of antigen and T cell help. Indeed, the kinetics of abortive activation͞deletion and the lack of anergy provide an interval of opportunity for reactivation and survival of some RF B cells. This could potentially occur within the inflamed synovia of RA joints where the concentration of soluble IgG is lower than in plasma, and where both immune complexed antigen and antigen-specific T cells are present together with cytokines that promote B cell differentiation. We hypothesize that such stimulation within the inflammatory synovial environment may interfere with the normal process of activation induced deletion of higher affinity RF B cells in RA.