Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that serves as a master regulator of anti-inflammatory agents, phase I xenobiotic, and phase II antioxidant enzymes, all of which provide a cytoprotective role during disease progression. We hypothesized that oral administration of a purported phytochemical Nrf2-activator, PB125, would increase long bone strength in aging Hartley guinea pigs, a model prone to musculoskeletal decline. Male (N = 56) and female (N = 56) guinea pigs were randomly assigned to receive daily oral treatment with either PB125 or vehicle control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured knee ligament. Surgical reconstruction is the gold standard treatment for ACL ruptures, but 20-50% of patients develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). ACL rupture is thus a well-recognized etiology of PTOA; however, little is known about the initial relationship between ligamentous injury and subsequent PTOA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpaired mitochondrial function and disrupted proteostasis contribute to musculoskeletal dysfunction. However, few interventions simultaneously target these two drivers to prevent musculoskeletal decline. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activates a transcriptional programme promoting cytoprotection, metabolism, and proteostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMuscles Ligaments Tendons J
January 2021
Background: Animal models of muscle injury have primarily relied on methods which do not mimic the chronic scarring that typically occurs adjacent to the myotendinous junction (MTJ). The goal of this study was three-fold: (i) to create a strain-induced in vivo model of rectus femoris MTJ injury in rats; (ii) to document clinical manifestations of injury using longitudinal tracking of individual animals via voluntary and compulsory (treadmill) mobility analyses and (iii) to validate and assess the model for persistent scarring through serial histologic assessment and development of a semi-quantitative grading scheme to characterize injury response over time.
Methods: Strain-induced MTJ injury was generated in male Sprague Dawley rats via needle tension directed along the transverse axis between the rectus femoris muscle and distal tendon that attaches to the patella.