title: Signaling mechanisms leading to the regulation of differentiation and apoptosis of articular chondrocytes by insulin-like growth factor-1.
abstract: Cartilage development is initiated by the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into chondrocytes. Differentiated chondrocytes in articular cartilage undergo dedifferentiation and apoptosis during arthritis, in which NO production plays a critical role. Here, we investigated the roles and mechanisms of action of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the chondrogenesis of mesenchymal cells and the maintenance and survival of differentiated articular chondrocytes. IGF-1 induced chondrogenesis of limb bud mesenchymal cells during micromass culture through the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt. PI3K activation is required for the activation of protein kinase C (PKC)-alpha and p38 kinase and inhibition of ERK1/2. These events are necessary for chondrogenesis. The growth factor additionally blocked NO-induced dedifferentiation and apoptosis of primary culture articular chondrocytes. NO production in chondrocytes induced down-regulation of PI3K and Akt activities, which was blocked by IGF-1 treatment. Stimulation of PI3K by IGF-1 resulted in blockage of NO-induced activation of p38 kinase and ERK1/2 and inhibition of PKCalpha and PKCzeta, which in turn suppressed dedifferentiation and apoptosis. Our results collectively indicate that IGF-1 regulates differentiation, maintenance of the differentiated phenotype, and apoptosis of articular chondrocytes via a PI3K pathway that modulates ERK, p38 kinase, and PKC signaling.
authors.affiliation: National Research Laboratory, Department of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Buk-Gu, Gwangju 500-712, Korea.
authors.forename: Chun-Do
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jang-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002356:Cartilage / Q000378:metabolism; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D015398:Signal Transduction; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D011494:Protein Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases