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Osteoarthritic tissues modulate functional properties of sensory neurons associated with symptomatic OA pain

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Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related degenerative disease of cartilaginous tissues that is accompanied by hyperalgesia. Molecular cause and effect relationships between OA and pain remain to be elucidated. In this study, we have developed an experimental ex vivo organ co-culture system with dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and knee synovial tissues from OA patients or unaffected human subjects. Our results suggest that tissues may generate symptomatic pain by altering the functional properties of sensory neurons. Specifically, we find that the expression levels of genes associated with neuronal pathways (e.g., SP, NK1, NK2, NPYR1, NPYR2, α2δ1) or inflammation (COX2/PTGS2 and IL6/interferon β2) are clearly elevated in DRG explants cultured in the presence of OA derived synovial tissues. These findings are consistent with a model in which cytokines and pain molecules produced by knee synovium sensitize nociceptive neurons in tissues peripheral to joint cartilage.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from NIH R01AR053220 (HJ Im), the Arthritis Foundation (HJ Im), and the National Arthritis Research Foundation (HJ Im).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Xin Li, Jae-Sung Kim & Hee-Jeong Im

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Hee-Jeong Im

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Hee-Jeong Im

  4. Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Andre J. van Wijnen

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  1. Xin Li
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  2. Jae-Sung Kim
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  3. Andre J. van Wijnen
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  4. Hee-Jeong Im
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Correspondence to Hee-Jeong Im.

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Li, X., Kim, JS., van Wijnen, A.J. et al. Osteoarthritic tissues modulate functional properties of sensory neurons associated with symptomatic OA pain. Mol Biol Rep 38, 5335–5339 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-011-0684-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-011-0684-7

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