[Preliminary study of TRPV4 affects chondrocyte degeneration].

Objective: To explore and verify that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4(TRPV4) affects chondrocyte degeneration.

Methods: Neonatal SD rats were selected, primary chondrocytes were extracted, and identified by toluidine blue staining and alcian blue staining;an in vitro chondrocyte inflammation model was constructed by IL-1β, and TRPV4 inhibitor was used to treat chondrocytes under inflammatory conditions, and the chondrocytes were treated by RT-PCR method was used to detect matrix metallopeptidase 13(MMP-13), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin 5, (ADAMTS-5)、nitric oxide synthase 2(NOS2)、Collagen, type II alpha 1(Col2α1)and aggrecan (Acan) mRNA in chondrocytes; primary chondrocytes were treated with different concentrations of TRPV4 overexpression plasmid, and the optimal overexpression dose was screened. The mRNA expressions of TRPV4, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, NOS2, Col2α1 and Acan in chondrocytes under the optimal TRPV4 overexpression dose were detected.

Results: Toluidine blue staining and Alcian blue staining identified the extracted cells as primary chondrocytes;RT-PCR showed that TRPV4, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, NOS2 mRNA in chondrocytes treated with TRPV4 inhibitor under inflammatory conditions. The expression of Col2α1 mRNA was significantly decreased (<0.05), and the expression of Col2α1 mRNA was increased (<0.05). Although there was no significant difference in the expression of Acan mRNA, the overall trend was also increasing. The expression of Col2α1 and Acan mRNA in chondrocytes was significantly decreased (<0.05), and the expression of NOS2 mRNA was increased(<0.05), but there was no significant difference in MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 (>0.05).

Conclusion: Inhibiting the expression of TRPV4 can down-regulate the expression of genes related to chondrocyte degeneration.