C57 mouse_knee_chondrocytes_eukaryotic_transcriptome (6G_T7)
Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized primarily by chondrocytopenia and cartilage matrix degradation. Superficial articular chondrocytes reside in the outermost layer of articular cartilage, which is in direct contact with synovial fluid. These chondrocytes are the first to respond to friction and joint stress, and consequently, they are the first to be damaged in osteoarthritis. In this study, early-stage superficial articular cartilage damage was observed via clinical arthroscopy, and early osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage tissue was collected for histological examination. Additionally, early OA was successfully modeled in an in vitro cellular assay, where the inflammatory envcalcium ionment inhibited the proliferative capacity of chondrocytes and activated multiple inflammatory pathways. Aberrant activation of the mechanosignaling pathway Piezo1, sensitization of mechanotransduction, and disruption of the cytoskeleton promote the progression of osteoarthritis when cyclic cellular stretching occurs in an inflammatory envcalcium ionment. These findings elucidate the role of superficial chondrocytes in early osteoarthritis and offer valuable insights into the clinical management of the disease.