Emodin Enhances Chondrogenic Differentiation Potential in Fibrocartilage Stem Cells for Temporomandibular Joint...

Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a degenerative disease mainly characterized by cartilage degeneration. Regeneration of condylar cartilage plays a crucial role in enhancing joint function and mitigating the advancement of TMJOA. Emodin has shown efficacy in promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting extracellular matrix degradation, suggesting its potential as a novel therapeutic approach for promoting condylar cartilage regeneration.

In this study, we isolated and characterized distinct Fibrocartilage Stem Cells (FCSCs) from the condyles of Sprague Dawley rats. Proliferation and differentiation of FCSCs were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures. Western blot and Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses were conducted to evaluate the expression levels of bone and cartilage anabolic metabolism markers.

The CCK-8 assay demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in cell proliferation, and the peak cell viability was observed at approximately 20 μM (P < 0.01). Analysis using qRT-PCR revealed significant upregulation of the fibrocartilage-specific marker, specifically Col I (P < 0.0001), alongside the concurrent downregulation of adipogenic markers Ppar-γ and LPL (P < 0.05), as well as osteogenic markers ACAN and ALP. Western blot analysis further confirmed elevated levels of Col I and reduced levels of ACAN and ALP following treatment with 20 μM.

Our findings demonstrated that emodin selectively promoted the differentiation of FCSCs towards chondrogenic lineages within a specific concentration range in vitro.

In conclusion, emodin enhanced the fibrocartilage-specific differentiation of FCSCs, indicating the potential therapeutic application of emodin in regenerating cartilage in the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).