Effects of ibuprofen on gene expression in chondrocytes from patients with osteoarthritis as determined by RNA-Seq

Antti Pemmari, Lauri Tuure, Mari Hämäläinen, Tiina Leppänen, Teemu Moilanen, Eeva Moilanen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
18 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a widely used symptomatic treatment in osteoarthritis (OA), but their effects on cartilage remain controversial. We studied the effects of ibuprofen on gene expression in chondrocytes from patients with OA using RNA-Seq. Chondrocytes were isolated from cartilage samples of patients with OA undergoing knee replacement surgery, cultured with ibuprofen, and total mRNA was sequenced. Differentially expressed genes were identified with edgeR using pairwise comparisons. Functional analysis was performed using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Ibuprofen did not induce statistically significant changes in chondrocyte transcriptome when the cells were cultured in the absence of added cytokines. In inflammatory conditions (when the cells were exposed to the OA-related cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β), 51 genes were upregulated and 42 downregulated by ibuprofen with fold change >1.5 in either direction. The upregulated genes included anti-inflammatory factors and genes associated with cell adhesion, while several mediators of inflammation were among the downregulated genes. IPA analysis revealed ibuprofen having modulating effects on inflammation-related pathways such as integrin, IL-8, ERK/MAPK and cAMP-mediated signalling pathways. In conclusion, the effects of ibuprofen on primary OA chondrocyte transcriptome appear to be neutral in normal conditions, but ibuprofen may shift chondrocyte transcriptome towards anti-inflammatory phenotype in inflammatory environments.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere001657
JournalRmd Open
Volume7
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Sept 2021
Publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

  • anti-inflammatory agents
  • chondrocytes
  • non-steroidal
  • osteoarthritis

Publication forum classification

  • Publication forum level 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Rheumatology
  • Immunology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of ibuprofen on gene expression in chondrocytes from patients with osteoarthritis as determined by RNA-Seq'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this