Crucial role of the terminal complement complex in chondrocyte death and hypertrophy after cartilage trauma

Innate immune response and particularly terminal complement complex (TCC) deposition are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. However, the possible role of TCC in regulated cell death as well as chondrocyte hypertrophy and senescence has not been unraveled so far and was first addressed using an ex vivo human cartilage trauma-model.

Cartilage explants were subjected to blunt impact (0.59 J) and exposed to human serum (HS) and cartilage homogenate (HG) with or without different potential therapeutics: RIPK1-inhibitor Necrostatin-1 (Nec), caspase-inhibitor zVAD, antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and TCC-inhibitors aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) and clusterin (CLU). Cell death and hypertrophy/senescence-associated markers were evaluated on mRNA and protein level.

Addition of HS resulted in significantly enhanced TCC deposition on chondrocytes and decrease of cell viability after trauma. This effect was potentiated by HG and was associated with expression of RIPK3, MLKL and CASP8. Cytotoxicity of HS could be prevented by heat-inactivation or specific inhibitors, whereby combination of Nec and zVAD as well as ATA exhibited highest cell protection. Moreover, HS+HG exposition enhanced the gene expression of CXCL1, IL-8, RUNX2 and VEGFA as well as secretion of IL-6 after cartilage trauma.

Our findings imply crucial involvement of the complement system and primarily TCC in regulated cell death and phenotypic changes of chondrocytes after cartilage trauma. Inhibition of TCC formation or downstream signaling largely modified serum-induced pathophysiologic effects and might therefore represent a therapeutic target to maintain the survival and chondrogenic character of cartilage cells.