title: Estradiol via estrogen receptor beta inhibits chondrogenesis of mouse vertebral growth plate in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abnormal growth of vertebral growth plate (VGP) was considered as one of the etiologic factors in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Previous studies described that estrogen played an important role in the pathogenesis of AIS. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of estrogen/estrogen receptor axis on mouse VGP chondrocytes in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chondrocytes were isolated from mouse VGP and treated with or without 17β-estradiol (E2). Cell proliferation was measured by the cell growth rate assay. Gene expression of collagen type II and aggrecan were evaluated by real-time PCR. Expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Sox9, and Smad4 were detected by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estradiol inhibited the proliferation of VGP chondrocytes and the gene expression of collagen type II and aggrecan and downregulated the protein expression of PCNA, Sox9, and Smad4. In addition, the inhibitory effect of estradiol was reversed by ERβ small interfering RNA (siRNA) or PHTPP, an ERβ antagonist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estradiol via estrogen/estrogen receptor β axis inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of VGP chondrocytes, which might give some new insight into the regulatory mechanism of bone development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Xiangya Road 87, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Kefeng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Xiangya Road 87, Changsha, 410008, China. zhq9996@163.com.
authors.forename: Hong-Qi
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Xiangya Road 87, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Xiangya Road 87, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Qile
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013131:Spine
chemical_list: D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS); Chondrocytes; Estrogen receptor; Vertebral body growth plate