Pelargonidin ameliorates inflammatory response and cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis via suppressing the NF-κB pathway.

Pelargonidin (PG), a derivative of anthocyanins, has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Herein, the protective effect and the mechanism of PG in counteract the osteoarthritis (OA) progression were needed to further evaluate. In the current study, C57BL/6 mice was induced by destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM) surgery to establish the OA model.

[A gain-of-function mutation in FGFR2 influences mandibular condylar development on mice].

The development of the skeleton is regulated by numerous signaling molecules expressed in epiphyseal cartilage controlling both chondrogenesis and osteogenesis such as fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs). In order to explore the important effect of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) in the process of mandibular condylar growth, we introduced gain-of-function Fgfr2(+/S252W) mice, and investigated mandibular condylar morphology by means of safranin-o/fast green staining at the stage of 1 week, 3 weeks and 6 weeks. The mutant mice displayed narrower width of the mandibular condylar growth plate, stronger stainings of trabecular bone at the stage of 1 week, 3 weeks and 6 weeks and faster degradation of the calcified cartilage cell layer at the stage of 6 weeks.

[Hematopoiesis is normally maintained in osteoblast-specific Smad4 gene knockout mice].

It was recently discovered that a subset of osteoblasts functions as a key component of the hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) niche in vivo, controlling HSC self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. Disruption of Smad4 gene specifically in osteoblasts leads to a remarkable decrease of osteoblast number and endosteal surface area. In order to elucidate if the osteoblast loss has any effect on hematopoietic activity, the bone marrow (BM) and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the osteoblast-specific Smad4 knockout mice were systematically analyzed, the proportions of mature hematocytes in BM, liver and spleen were detected by flow cytometry, the hematopoietic progenitor number in different stages was measured by colong-forming assay, CFU-S and analysis of LSK cells.

[Establishment of osteoblast-specific Cre transgenic mice].

An osteoblast-specific Cre transgenic construct (pOC-Cre) containing the osteocalcin promoter, Cre recombinase gene and polyA of human growth hormone gene was generated. The 4.6 kb DNA fragment of OC-Cre was introduced into fertilized zygotes by microinjection.