Quercetin mediates TSC2-RHEB-mTOR pathway to regulate chondrocytes autophagy in knee osteoarthritis

This study aimed to explore the specific molecular mechanism of the therapeutic effect of quercetin in knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

The KOA rat model was constructed by excising the medial meniscus and transecting the anterior meniscus. Joint injuries in rats were determined by Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) and Safranin O staining. The severity of KOA was then assessed according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI). The expressions of TSC2 and LC2B in joint tissue were measured by immunohistochemistry. Besides, chondrocytes treated with 10 ng/ml IL-1β were used to construct a chondrocyte arthritis model, while those treated with 4 or 8 μM quercetin were served as treatment groups. MTT, flow cytometry and toluidine blue staining were used to detect cell viability, apoptosis and mucopolysaccharide synthesis, respectively. qRT-PCR or Western blot was performed to determine the expressions of MMP-13, collagen II, Aggrecan, TSC2, RHEB, mTOR, p-mTOR, ULK1, p-ULK1, LC3B-I, LC3B-II and P62 in chondrocytes.

Quercetin alleviated the joint injury and suppressed the increase in MMP-13 expression and the decreases in collagen II and Aggrecan expressions in KOA rats. In addition, quercetin suppressed RHEB, p-mTOR, p-ULK1 and P62 expressions but promoted TSC2 and LC3BII expressions in KOA rats. Furthermore, quercetin could relieve the decrease of cell viability and the increase of apoptosis that induced by IL-1β, and promote the synthesis of IL-1β-inhibited mucopolysaccharide in chondrocytes. Nevertheless, siTSC2 partially offset the therapeutic effects of quercetin in chondrocytes.

Quercetin alleviated KOA by mediating the TSC2-RHBE-mTOR signaling pathway.