Effect of Moderate Exercise on the Superficial Zone of Articular Cartilage in Age-Related Osteoarthritis
Yukun Yin,
Yuanyu Zhang,
Li Guo,
Pengcui Li,
Dongming Wang,
Lingan Huang,
Xiaoqin Zhao,
Gaige Wu,
Lu Li,
Xiaochun Wei
Affiliations
Yukun Yin
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Yuanyu Zhang
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Li Guo
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Pengcui Li
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Dongming Wang
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Lingan Huang
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Xiaoqin Zhao
College of Physical Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Gaige Wu
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Lu Li
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
Xiaochun Wei
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Injury Repair, Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 382 Wuyi Road, Taiyuan 030001, China
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise on the superficial zone of the osteoarticular cartilage during osteoarthritis progression. Three-month-old, nine-month-old, and eighteen-month-old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups, moderate exercise and no exercise, for 10 weeks. Histological staining, immunostaining, and nanoindentation measurements were conducted to detect changes in the superficial zone. X-ray and micro-CT were quantitated to detect alterations in the microarchitecture of the tibial subchondral bone. Cells were extracted from the superficial zone of the cartilage under fluid-flow shear stress conditions to further verify changes in vitro. The number of cells and proteoglycan content in the superficial zone increased more in the exercise group than in the control group. Exercise can change the content and distribution of collagen types I and III in the superficial layer. In addition, TGFβ/pSmad2/3 and Prg4 expression levels increased under the intervention of exercise on the superficial zone. Exercise can improve the Young’s modulus of the cartilage and reduce the abnormal subchondral bone remodeling which occurs after superficial zone changes. Moderate exercise delays the degeneration of the articular cartilage by its effect on the superficial zone, and the TGFβ/pSmad2/3 signaling pathways and Prg4 play an important role.
