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Primary culture of rat growth plate chondrocytes: an in vitro model of growth plate histotype, matrix vesicle biogenesis and mineralization.

During endochondral ossification (EO), cartilage is replaced by bone. Chondrocytes of growth plate undergo proliferation, maturation, hypertrophy, matrix vesicle (MV) biogenesis and programmed cell death (PCD, apoptosis). The in vitro system presented here provides a potential experimental model for studying in vitro differentiation and MV biogenesis in chondrocyte cultures. Chondrocytes were obtained from collagenase-digested tibial and femoral growth plate cartilage of 7-week-old rachitic rats. The isolated chondrocytes were plated as monolayers at a density of 0.5 x 10(6) cells per 35-mm plate and grown for 17 days in BGJ(b) medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 50 microg/ml ascorbic acid. Light microscopy revealed Sirius red-positive, apparent bone matrix in layers at the surfaces of cartilaginous nodules that developed in the cultures. The central matrix was largely alcian blue staining thus resembling cartilage matrix. Electron microscopy revealed superficial areas of bone like matrix with large banded collagen fibrils, consistent with type I collagen. Most of the central matrix was cartilaginous, with small fibrils, randomly arranged consistent with type II collagen. The presence of peripheral type I and central type II and type X collagen was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Immunohistochemistry with anti-Bone morphogenetic proteins 2, 4 and 6 showed that BMP expression is associated with maturing hypertrophic central chondrocytes, many of which were TUNEL positive and undergoing cell death with plasma membrane breaks, hydropic swelling and cell fragmentation. During early mineralization, small radial clusters of hydroxyapatite-like mineral were associated with matrix vesicles. Collagenase digestion-released MVs from the cultures showed a high specific activity for alkaline phosphatase and demonstrated a pattern of AMP-stimulated nonradioactive (40)Calcium deposition comparable to that observed with native MVs. These studies confirm that primary cultures of rat growth plate chondrocytes are a reasonable in vitro model of growth plate histotype, MV biogenesis and programmed cell death.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Indian hedgehog synchronizes skeletal angiogenesis and perichondrial maturation with cartilage development.

A null mutation in the morphogen Indian hedgehog (IHH) results in an embryonic lethal phenotype characterized by the conspicuous absence of bony tissue in the extremities. We show that this ossification defect is not attributable to a permanent arrest in cartilage differentiation, since Ihh(-/-) chondrocytes undergo hypertrophy and terminal differentiation, express angiogenic markers such as Vegf, and are invaded, albeit aberrantly, by blood vessels. Subsequent steps, including vessel expansion and persistence, are impaired, and the net result is degraded cartilage matrix that is devoid of blood vessels. The absence of blood vessels is not because the Ihh(-/-) skeleton is anti-angiogenic; in fact, in an ex vivo environment, both wild-type and Ihh mutant vessels invade the Ihh(-/-) cartilage, though only wild-type vessels expand to create the marrow cavity. In the ex vivo setting, Ihh(-/-) cells differentiate into osteoblasts and deposit a bony matrix, without benefit of exogenous hedgehog in the new environment. Even more surprising is our finding that the earliest IHH-dependent skeletal defect is obvious by the time the limb mesenchyme segregates into chondrogenic and perichondrogenic condensations. Although Ihh(-/-) cells organize into chondrogenic condensations similar in size and shape to wild-type condensations, perichondrial cells surrounding the mutant condensations are clearly faulty. They fail to aggregate, elongate and flatten into a definitive, endothelial cell-rich perichondrium like their wild-type counterparts. Normally, these cells surrounding the chondrogenic condensation are exposed to IHH, as evidenced by their expression of the hedgehog target genes, patched (Ptch) and Gli1. In the mutant environment, the milieu surrounding the cartilage -- comprising osteoblast precursors and endothelial cells -- as well as the cartilage itself, develop in the absence of this important morphogen. In conclusion, the skeletal phenotype of Ihh(-/-) embryos represents the sum of disturbances in three separate cell populations, the chondrocytes, the osteoblasts and the vasculature, each of which is a direct target of hedgehog signaling.

Alleles↗

Ras induction of superoxide activates ERK-dependent angiogenic transcription factor HIF-1alpha and VEGF-A expression in shock wave-stimulated osteoblasts.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) released by osteoblasts plays an important role in angiogenesis and endochondral ossification during bone formation. In animal studies, we have reported that shock waves (SW) can promote osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells through superoxide-mediated signal transduction (Wang, F. S., Wang, C. J., Sheen-Chen, S. M., Kuo, Y. R., Chen, R. F., and Yang, K. D. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 10931-10937) and vascularization of the bone-tendon junction. Here, we found that SW elevation of VEGF-A expression in human osteoblasts to be mediated by Ras-induced superoxide and ERK-dependent HIF-1alpha activation. SW treatment (0.16 mJ/mm(2), 1 Hz, 500 impulses) rapidly activated Ras protein (15 min) and Rac1 protein (30 min) and increased superoxide production in 30 min and VEGF mRNA expression in 6 h. Early scavenging of superoxide, but not nitric oxide, peroxide hydrogen, or prostaglandin E(2), reduced SW-augmented VEGF-A levels. Inhibition of superoxide production by diphenyliodonium, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, was found to suppress VEGF-A expression. Transfection of osteoblasts with a dominant negative (S17N) Ras mutant abrogated the SW enhancement of Rac1 activation, superoxide synthesis, and VEGF expression. Further studies demonstrated that SW significantly promoted ERK activation in 1 h and HIF-1alpha phosphorylation and HIF-1alpha binding to VEGF promoter in 3 h. In support of the observation that superoxide mediated the SW-induced ERK activation and HIF-1alpha transactivation, we further demonstrated that scavenging of superoxide by superoxide dismutase and inhibition of ERK activity by PD98059 decreased HIF-1alpha activation and VEGF-A levels. Moreover, culture medium harvested from SW-treated osteoblasts increased vessel number of chick chorioallantoic membrane. Superoxide dismutase pretreatment and anti-VEGF-A antibody neutralization reduced the promoting effect of conditioned medium on angiogenesis. Thus, modulation of redox reaction by SW may have some positive effect on angiogenesis during bone regeneration.

Cell Differentiation↗