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Figure 6 | BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Figure 6

From: Connexin43 enhances the expression of osteoarthritis-associated genes in synovial fibroblasts in culture

Figure 6

Inhibition of the NFκB pathway prevented the ability of Cx43 overexpression to enhance the expression of some OA-associated catabolic and inflammatory genes. By quantitative real time RT-PCR, transient transfection of SW982 human synovial fibroblast-like cells with a rat Cx43 expressing plasmid (pSFFV-Cx43) significantly increased the gene expression of the OA-associated catabolic and inflammatory genes (A) MMP1, ADAMTS5, IL1 and PTGS2. This effect of Cx43 on the expression of these genes was abrogated by inhibition of the NFκB pathway with MG132 (50 μM, 5 hours). N = 3. Data are shown as means ± standard deviations. Asterisks indicate p-value < 0.05 relative to the corresponding vehicle treated control. (B) Immunoblots showed that Cx43 overexpression increased the abundance of phospho-p65 NFκB, an effect that could be inhibited by exposure to MG132 (50 μM, 1 hours). GAPDH was used as a load control. This blot is from a single gel and single exposure but is from non-contiguous lanes. The irrelevant lanes have been digitally removed. (C) Immunoblot with anti-phospho-p65 NFκB antibodies confirms the effectiveness of MG132 to inhibit the NFκB pathway when the pathway is stimulated by IL1β (100 ng/ml, 20 minutes). (D) Treatment with the NFκB pathway inhibitor (IKK2-inhibitor IV, 10 μM, 4 hours) reduced the Cx43-dependent expression of several OA-associated genes, as determined by quantitative real time RT-PCR. N = 3. Data are shown as means ± standard deviations. Asterisks indicate p-value < 0.05 relative to the corresponding vehicle treated control.

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