Combining Targeted Metabolomic Data with a Model of Glucose Metabolism: Toward Progress in Chondrocyte Mechanotransduction.

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease likely involving altered metabolism of the chondrocytes in articular cartilage. Chondrocytes can respond metabolically to mechanical loads via cellular mechanotransduction, and metabolic changes are significant because they produce the precursors to the tissue matrix necessary for cartilage health. However, a comprehensive understanding of how energy metabolism changes with loading remains elusive.

Candidate mediators of chondrocyte mechanotransduction via targeted and untargeted metabolomic measurements.

Chondrocyte mechanotransduction is the process by which cartilage cells transduce mechanical loads into biochemical and biological signals. Previous studies have identified several pathways by which chondrocytes transduce mechanical loads, yet a general understanding of which signals are activated and in what order remains elusive. This study was performed to identify candidate mediators of chondrocyte mechanotransduction using SW1353 chondrocytes embedded in physiologically stiff agarose.