Study on the relationship between PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and apoptosis in cartilage tissue of rats with osteoarthritis

摘要

Objective: To study the relationship between PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and apoptosis incartilage tissue of rats with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: The clean male Wistar rats wereselected as experimental animals and randomly divided into OA model group and controlgroup. The OA model was established by intra-articular injection of papain solution andL-cysteine. Fourth weeks and eighth weeks after model establishment, the expression ofPI3K/AKT signaling molecules, inflammatory mediators, apoptosis marker molecules andautophagy marker molecules in articular cartilage were determined. Results: p-PI3K andp-AKT expression in articular cartilage of OA group were significantly lower than those ofcontrol group; IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, IL-18, eIF4E, Bax, Caspase-3, mTOR, Beclin1, Atg5and Atg7 expression in articular cartilage of OA group were significantly higher than thoseof control group and negatively correlated with p-PI3K and p-AKT expression while Bcl-2expression in articular cartilage of OA group was significantly lower than that of control groupand positively correlated with p-PI3K and p-AKT expression. Conclusion: The inhibition ofPI3K/AKT signaling pathway in cartilage tissue of OA rat model can promote chondrocyteapoptosis and autophagy.