Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030193 (pain)
 261,466 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

It is well known that exercise, alone or combined with weight reduction, reduces pain and improves function in patients with osteoarthritis. The knowledge of the effects of exercise on cartilage is limited and needs to be improved however. It seems as cartilage adapts to loading as other biological tissues like bone and muscle, and moderate loading seems to be beneficial both for prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis. Too high loads, like elite soccer or repeated knee bendings several hours daily, are associated with increased risk of osteoarthritis. Too high or too low mechanical load decrease the proteoglycan content of the cartilage, indicating not only elite sports but also physical inactivity being a possible risk factor for osteoarthritis development. Muscle weakness may proceed osteoarthritis. Prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis should include regular loading of the cartilage, keeping muscles strong and maintaining normal body weight.
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PMID:[Physical activity as medication against arthrosis--training has a positive effect on the cartilage]. 1528 5

Nociceptors are specialized nerve fibers that transmit noxious pain stimuli to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. A subset of nociceptors, the nonpeptidergic C-fibers, is characterized by its reactivity for the plant isolectin B4 (IB4) from Griffonia simplicifolia. The molecular nature of the IB4-reactive glycoconjugate, although used as a neuroanatomical marker for more than a decade, has remained unknown. We here present data which strongly suggest that a splice variant of the extracellular matrix proteoglycan versican is the IB4-reactive glycoconjugate associated with these nociceptors. We isolated (by subcellular fractionation and IB4 affinity chromatography) a glycoconjugate from porcine spinal cord tissue that migrated in SDS/PAGE as a single distinct protein band at an apparent molecular mass of > 250 kDa. By using MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, we identified this glycoconjugate unambiguously as a V2-like variant of versican. Moreover, we demonstrate that the IB4-reactive glycoconjugate and the versican variant can be co-released from spinal cord membranes by hyaluronidase, and that the IB4-reactive glycoconjugate and the versican variant can be co-precipitated by an anti-versican immunoglobulin and perfectly co-migrate in SDS/PAGE. Our findings shed new light on the role of the extracellular matrix, which is thought to be involved in plastic changes underlying pain-related phenomena such as hyperalgesia and allodynia.
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PMID:Identification of versican as an isolectin B4-binding glycoprotein from mammalian spinal cord tissue. 1572 Mar 84

Lumbar disc degeneration occurs because of a variety of factors and results in a multitude of conditions. Alterations in the vertebral endplate cause loss of disc nutrition and disc degeneration. Aging, apoptosis, abnormalities in collagen, vascular ingrowth, loads placed on the disc, and abnormal proteoglycan all contribute to disc degeneration. Some forms of disc degeneration lead to loss of height of the motion segment with concomitant changes in biomechanics of the segment. Disc herniation with radiculopathy and chronic discogenic pain are the result of this degenerative process.
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PMID:Pathophysiology of lumbar disc degeneration: a review of the literature. 1591 93

A standardized CO(2) extract from Humulus lupulus L. (hop extract) was investigated for its selective COX-1/2 inhibitory properties. An in vitro model of inflammation using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was used as a model to investigate the effect of hop extract on PGE(2) production. COX-1/2 selective inhibition by the hop extract was investigated in a COX-1 whole blood assay (WBA) and a COX-2 WBA. To evaluate the in vivo activity of hop extract, it was administered orally to C57BL/6 mice in which inflammation of the right joint was induced by injecting zymosan intra-articularly. Ex vivo PGE(2) production of LPS-stimulated blood cells was determined. Also, the effect of hop extract on healthy and arthritic cartilage was investigated as well as effects on inflammatory joint swelling. Hop extract inhibited PGE(2) production by LPS-stimulated PBMC without compromising the metabolic activity of these cells. Furthermore, hop extract showed a decline in PGE(2) production in the COX-2 whole blood assay (WBA) with an IC(50) of 20.4 microg/mL, while in the COX-1 WBA no inhibition of PGE(2) production was observed. This indicates a COX-2 selective inhibition. The COX-1 inhibitor SC-560 inhibited PGE(2) production in the COX-1 WBA but not in the COX-2 WBA. At 2 microM, celecoxib inhibited PGE(2) production in the COX-2 WBA by 92 % and in the COX-1 WBA by 50 %. When hop extract was administered orally to C57BL/6 mice in which joint inflammation was induced with zymosan, PGE(2) production in ex vivo LPS-stimulated whole blood was significantly decreased by 24 %, suggesting that hop extract becomes bioavailable. Furthermore, oral administration of hop extract showed no negative or positive effects on healthy cartilage proteoglycan synthesis, or on zymosan-induced arthritic cartilage proteoglycan synthesis. However, no effect of oral administration of 1.25 mg hop extract daily was observed on joint swelling. In conclusion, this standardized CO(2) extract of Humulus lupulus could be a useful agent for intervention strategies targeting inflammatory disorders and/or inflammatory pain.
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PMID:Selective inhibition of COX-2 by a standardized CO2 extract of Humulus lupulus in vitro and its activity in a mouse model of zymosan-induced arthritis. 1653 27

Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of fangotherapy on relieve of pain improving function of rheumatic patients. Herein, we investigated the effect of Brazilian black mud in protect articular damage in chronic arthritis induced in rats. Mud was daily applied (40 degrees C/30 min) during the course of arthritis and was compared with warm water and no treated groups. At 21th day after arthritis induction synovial fluid and membrane were analyzed regarding cellular influx, hyperplasia and vascular proliferation. Cartilage structure, cell count, proteoglycan and collagen amount were also analyzed by three pathologists blinded to the treatment. Mud treatment diminished leukocyte migration into the synovial membrane and articular cavity when compared with both control groups. Regarding cartilage, an increase in collagen, number of chondrocytes and more conserved tissue structure was observed in mud-treated animals. These results demonstrate a protective effect of Brazilian mud on this model of arthritis, suggesting that this therapy may be useful as a complementary approach to treat articular diseases.
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PMID:The efficacy of Brazilian black mud treatment in chronic experimental arthritis. 1756 44

Pain-related neuropeptides released from synovial fibroblasts, such as substance P, have been implicated in joint destruction. Substance P-induced inflammatory processes are mediated via signaling through a G-protein-coupled receptor, that is, neurokinin-1 tachykinin receptor (NK(1)-R). We determined the pathophysiological link between substance P and its receptor in human adult articular cartilage homeostasis. We further examined if catabolic growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF or FGF-2) or IL-1beta accelerate matrix degradation via a neural pathway upregulation of substance P and NK(1)-R. We show here that substance P stimulates the production of cartilage-degrading enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), and suppresses proteoglycan deposition in human adult articular chondrocytes via NK(1)-R. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that substance P negates proteoglycan stimulation promoted by bone morphogenetic protein-7, suggesting the dual role of substance P as both a pro-catabolic and anti-anabolic mediator of cartilage homeostasis. We report that bFGF-mediated stimulation of substance P and its receptor NK(1)-R is, in part, through an IL-1beta-dependent pathway.
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PMID:Basic fibroblast growth factor accelerates matrix degradation via a neuro-endocrine pathway in human adult articular chondrocytes. 1796 May 84

Mixture of nonsaponifiable components of avocado and soybean oils known as piascledine is a drug applied is patients with osteoarthritis. The drug combine properties of structure modifying drug with symptom modifying drug.<br /> Piascledine was shown to enhance collagen and proteoglycan synthesis and to decrease synthesis of fibronectin by cultured in vitro chondrocytes. Moreover, the drug inhibits release and activity of metalloproteinases and proinflammatory cytokines, a key factors involved in development of osteoarthritis.<br /> Well controlled clinical trials evidenced that piascledine improves functional indices and results a decrease in pain as well as in diminished analgesic drug demand in patients with osteoarthritis. Administration of the drug within two years resulted in delayed destruction of the joints as shown in radiological evaluation. Application of piascledine is very well tolerated medication.
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PMID:Application of avocado/soybean unsaponifiable mixtures (piascledine) in treatment of patients with osteoarthritis. 1803 15

Analysis of disc gene expression implicated IL-1 in the development of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) in a rabbit stab model. The purpose of these studies is to determine the role of p38 Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling in nucleus pulposus cell response to IL-1, and to compare rabbit nucleus pulposus (rNP) cell responses to IL-1 activation with those in a stab model of disc degeneration. NP cells maintained in alginate bead culture were exposed to IL-1, with or without p38 MAPK inhibition. RNA was isolated for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of gene expression, conditioned media analyzed for accumulation of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E-2 (PGE-2), and proteoglycan synthesis measured after 10 days. IL-1 upregulation of mRNA for cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), IL-1, and IL-6, was blunted by p38 inhibition while downregulation of matrix proteins (collagen I, collagen II, aggrecan) and insulin-like-growth-factor I (IFG-1) was also reversed. mRNA for tissue inhibitor of matrixmetalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) was modestly increased by IL-1, while those for Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) SOX-9, and versican remained unchanged. Blocking p38 MAPK reduced IL-1 induced NO and PGE-2 accumulation and partially restored proteoglycan synthesis. p38 MAPK inhibition in control cells increased mRNA for matrix proteins (aggrecan, collagen II, versican, collagen I) and anabolic factors (IGF-1, TGF, and SOX-9) from 50% to 120%, decreased basal PGE-2 accumulation, but had no effect on message for TIMP-1, MMP-3, or COX-2. Inhibition of p38 MAPK in cytokine-activated disc cells blunts gene expression and production of factors associated with inflammation, pain, and disc matrix catabolism while reversing IL-1 downregulation of matrix protein gene expression and proteoglycan synthesis. The results support the hypothesis that IL-1 could be responsible for many of the mRNA changes seen in rabbit NP in the stab model of disc degeneration, and uphold the concept that development of molecular techniques to block p38 MAPK could provide a therapeutic approach to slow the course of intervertebral disc degeneration.
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PMID:p38 MAPK inhibition modulates rabbit nucleus pulposus cell response to IL-1. 1830 37

Immobilization of the tendon and ligament has been shown to result in a rapid and significant decrease in material properties. It has been proposed that tissue degradation leading to tendon rupture or pain in humans may also be linked to mechanical unloading following focal tendon injury. Hence, understanding the remodeling mechanism associated with mechanical unloading has relevance for the human conditions of immobilization (e.g., casting), delayed repair of tendon ruptures, and potentially overuse injuries as well. This is the first study to investigate the time course of gene expression changes associated with tissue harvest and mechanical unloading culture in an explant model. Rat tail tendon fascicles were harvested and placed in culture unloaded for up to 48 h and then evaluated using qRT-PCR for changes in two anabolic and four catabolic genes at 12 time points. Our data demonstrates that Type I Collagen, Decorin, Cathepsin K, and MMP2 gene expression are relatively insensitive to unloaded culture conditions. However, changes in both MMP3 and MMP13 gene expression are rapid, dramatic, sustained, and changing during at least the first 48 h of unloaded culture. This data will help to further elucidate the mechanism for the loss of mechanical properties associated with mechanical unloading in tendon.
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PMID:Changes in gene expression of individual matrix metalloproteinases differ in response to mechanical unloading of tendon fascicles in explant culture. 1840 23

Articular cartilage has limited ability for repair when damaged by trauma or degenerative disease, such as osteoarthritis, which can result in pain and compromised quality of life. Biological surface replacements developed using tissue engineering methods are a promising approach for cartilage repair, which would avoid the need for total joint replacement with the synthetic implants used currently. A basic requirement of in vitro tissue generation is a supply of sufficient number of cells, which are difficult to acquire from sparsely cellular cartilage tissue. Previously, we have shown that coculture of in vitro-expanded dedifferentiated chondrocytes (P2) with small numbers of primary chondrocytes (P0) induces redifferentiation in passaged (P2) cells. In this study we show that this redifferentiation is not a transient change. After 4 weeks of coculture, the P0 and P2 cells were separated by flow-associated cell sorting, and the redifferentiated P2 (dP2) were cultured alone for a further 4 weeks. The redifferentiated dP2 cells formed thicker cartilage tissue compared to the tissue generated by P2 cells. The newly formed tissue contained type II collagen as demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining and accumulated more proteoglycan per cell than the tissue formed by P2 cells. The dP2 cells also exhibited higher type II collagen and lower type I collagen gene expression than the P2 cells. Interestingly, dP2 cells were able to exert the same effect as P0 cells when cocultured with P2 cells. In conclusion, under proper culture conditions, redifferentiated passaged chondrocytes behave similarly to primary chondrocytes. This coculture system approach can be used to increase the number of differentiated chondrocytes that can be obtained by classical monolayer cell expansion and represents a novel way to acquire sufficient cell numbers for cartilage tissue engineering.
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PMID:Cartilage tissue formation using redifferentiated passaged chondrocytes in vitro. 1878 19


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