The Role of Lubricin, Irisin and Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative musculoskeletal disease that worsens with age and is defined by pathological alterations in joint components. All clinical treatment recommendations for osteoarthritis promote exercise, although precise molecular pathways are unclear. The purpose of this study was to critically analyze the research on lubricin and irisin and how they relate to healthy and diseased joint tissue. Our research focused specifically on exercise strategies and offered new perspectives for future potential osteoarthritis treatment plans. Although lubricin and irisin have only recently been discovered, there is evidence that they have an impact on cartilage homeostasis. A crucial component of cartilage lubrication and integrity, lubricin is a surface-active mucinous glycoprotein released by the synovial joint. Its expression increases with joint movement. In healthy joints, lubricin molecules cover the cartilage surface to lubricate the boundary of the joint and inhibit protein and cell attachment. Patients with joint trauma, inflammatory arthritis, or genetically mediated lubricin deficiency, who do not produce enough lubricin to protect the articular cartilage, develop arthropathy. Irisin, sometimes known as the “sports hormone”, is a myokine secreted primarily by skeletal muscle. It is a physiologically active protein that can enter the circulation as an endocrine factor, and its synthesis and secretion are primarily triggered by exercise-induced muscle contraction. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus using the appropriate keywords to identify the most recent research. The studies considered advance our knowledge of the role that exercise plays in the fight against osteoarthritis, serve as a valuable resource, and support the advancement of osteoarthritis prevention and therapy.

Burden of osteoarthritis in China, 1990–2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

“…The results of the period effect in this study show that the period RR of osteoarthritis incidence and DALY rates kept increasing in the cohort born before 2005–2009, and then, it was gradually reduced by year of birth in the cohort born after 2005–2009. The possible reason is that after 2005–2009, through extensive health education [ 36 ]and the emergence of new treatment methods [ 37 – 39 ] in recent years, the incidence and DALY rate of osteoarthritis will be reduced. The cohort effect refers to the risk of exposure to different levels of social, natural, and environmental factors, depending on the age of birth of the population.…”

Low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound irradiation attenuates collagen degradation of articular cartilage in early osteoarthritis‐like model mice

“…One of the reasons for focusing on early-stage OA is to prevent the progression of OA by starting treatment early [ 9 ]. Although moderate exercise can increase lubricin expression [ 30 ], LIPUS irradiation may improve symptoms in patients having difficulty with physical therapy. Intervention in early OA at the onset of pain using LIPUS, a non-invasive technique, may reduce the incidence of OA.…”

A Narrative Review on Adipose Tissue and Overtraining: Shedding Light on the Interplay among Adipokines, Exercise and Overtraining

“…Irisin levels can be induced by exercise, both acute and resistance [170]. Irisin expression is regulated by the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1-α) [171]. An increase in PGC1-α expression in the muscle of transgenic mice is associated with WAT browning in a process mediated by irisin [170].…”