Astaxanthin reduces inflammation and promotes a chondrogenic phenotype by upregulating SIRT1 in osteoarthritis

Haonan Qin; Xingjing Liu; Qirui Ding; Huan Liu; Cheng Ma; Yifan Wei; You Lv; Shouguo Wang; Yongxin Ren

doi:10.1016/j.knee.2024.03.002

Astaxanthin reduces inflammation and promotes a chondrogenic phenotype by upregulating SIRT1 in osteoarthritis

Knee. 2024 Mar 29:48:83-93. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2024.03.002. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Haonan Qin¹, Xingjing Liu², Qirui Ding¹, Huan Liu¹, Cheng Ma³, Yifan Wei³, You Lv³, Shouguo Wang¹, Yongxin Ren⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huaian 223300, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Endocrinology, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, Jiangsu Province, China.
³ Department of Orthopedics, The First Affliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Department of Orthopedics, The First Affliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: renyongxinjsph@163.com.

PMID: 38555717
DOI: 10.1016/j.knee.2024.03.002

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of astaxanthin (AST) on mouse osteoarthritis (OA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ATDC5 cell damage and to explore whether SIRT1 protein plays a role.

Methods: In this study, some mouse OA models were constructed by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). Imaging, molecular biology and histopathology methods were used to study the effect of AST administration on traumatic OA in mice. In addition, LPS was used to stimulate ATDC5 cells to mimic the inflammatory response of OA. The effects of AST on the cell activity, inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases and collagen type II levels were studied by CCK8 activity assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and protein imprinting. The role of SIRT1 protein was also detected.

Results: In the mouse OA model, the articular surface collapsed, the articular cartilage thickness and cartilage matrix protein abundance were significantly decreased, while the expression of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases was increased; but AST treatment reversed these effects. Meanwhile, AST pretreatment could partially reverse LPS-induced ATDC5 cell damage and upregulate SIRT1 expression, but this protective effect of AST was attenuated by concurrent administration of the SIRT1 inhibitor Ex527.

Conclusion: AST can protect against the early stages of OA by affecting SIRT1 signalling, suggesting that AST might be a potential therapeutic agent for OA treatment.

Keywords: Astaxanthin; Inflammation; Osteoarthritis; SIRT1.