Growth plate expression profiling: Large and small breed dogs provide new insights in endochondral bone formation

Genomic Effects of Biomechanical Loading in Adolescent Human Growth Plate Cartilage: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE

The genomic effects of biomechanical loading on human growth plate cartilage are unknown so far. To address this, we used rare human growth plate biopsies obtained from children undergoing epiphysiodesis and exposed them to precisely controlled mechanical loading using a microloading device. The biopsies were cultured 24 hours after mechanical loading, followed by RNA-sequencing analyses to decipher the genomic regulation.

DESIGN

We conducted RNA-seq analysis of human growth plate cartilage obtained from three patients cultured ex vivo and subjected to cyclical mechanical loading with peak 0.4 N with frequency 0.77 Hz during a 30-second duration, using a specialized microloading device.

RESULTS

Gene ontology analysis revealed novel data showing three significantly upregulated signaling pathways, including notch, oxytocin, and tight junction, and three significantly downregulated signaling pathways, including lysosome, sphingolipid metabolism, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in human growth plate cartilage. Moreover, we found 15 significantly regulated genes within these signaling pathways from all three patients. These genes included PSEN2, HEY1, and NCOR2 from the notch signaling; CACNB1 and PPP3R2 from the oxytocin signaling; ACTR3C, WHAMM, and ARHGEF18 from the tight junction signaling; ARSA, SMPD1, and CD68 from the lysosome signaling; ARSA and SMPD1 from the sphingolipid metabolism signaling; and SLC27A4 and AQP7 from the PPAR signaling pathway. In addition, 20 significantly upregulated genes and six significantly downregulated genes shared between two patient samples were identified.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides the first-ever transcriptomic data of mechanical loading of human growth plate cartilage. These findings can potentially provide genetic targets for future investigations in physiological and pathological bone growth conditions.

Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for German Short/Wirehaired Pointer, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Siberian Husky: associated joint disorders, cancers, and urinary incontinence

Spaying female and castrating male dogs, hereinafter referred to as neutering, is a US convention for the first year in the dog's life. Research on 35 breeds of dogs revealed that early neutering increases risks of joint disorders, such as hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), or cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear, or cancers, such as lymphosarcoma (LSA), mast cell tumor (MCT), hemangiosarcoma (has), or osteosarcoma (OSA), for some breeds. Joint disorder risks are heightened for some larger breeds and for mixed-breed dogs weighing more than 20 kg. Some breeds had elevated risks for cancers. Several other research teams have reported health complications associated with neutering. The study goal includes using the same methodology for data collection and analyses as in the study on 35 breeds for five additional dog breeds weighing at least 20 kg. The breeds were: German Short/Wirehaired Pointer, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Siberian Husky. Major differences among breeds appeared in vulnerability to joint disorders and cancers with early neutering: male and female Pointer breeds had elevated joint disorders and increased cancers; male Mastiff breeds had increased CCL and LSA and females had non-significant elevated CCL risks; female Newfoundland breeds had heightened risks for joint disorders and males had non-significant elevated risks; female Ridgeback breeds had heightened MCT with very early neutering; and Siberian Huskies showed no significant effects on joint disorders or cancers, but female breeds showed a non-significant but elevated CCL. Updated guidelines cover 40 dog breeds. These results further emphasize the importance of personalized decisions regarding the neutering of dogs, considering the dog's breed, sex, and context.

CGF-HLC-I repaired the bone defect repair of the rabbits mandible through tight junction pathway

Background: The human-like collagen I (HLC-I) combined concentrated growth factors was used to construct CGF-HLC-I composite biomaterials to repair the critical bone defect disease model of rabbit mandible. This study aimed to research the repair mechanism of CGF-HLC-I/Bio-Oss in rabbit mandibular critical bone defect, to provide a new treatment direction for clinical bone defect repair.

Methods: The optimal concentration of HLC-I (0.75%) was selected in this study. Nine New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups, normal control group, Bio-Gide/Bio-Oss and CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss group (n = 3, each group). CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss and Bio-Gide/Bio-Oss were implanted into rabbit mandibles, then X-ray, Micro-CT, HE and Masson staining, immunohistochemical staining and biomechanical testing were performed with the bone continuity or maturity at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. The repair mechanism was studied by bioinformatics experiments.

Results: As the material degraded, the rate of new bone formation in the CGF-0.75% HLC-I/Bio-Oss group was better than that the control group by micro-CT. The biomechanical test showed that the compressive strength and elastic modulus of the CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss group were higher than those of the control group. HE and Masson staining showed that the bone continuity or maturity of the CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss group was better than that of the control group. Immunohistochemical staining showed significantly higher bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in the CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss group than the control group at 8 and 12 W and the difference gradually decreased with time. There were 131 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the Bio-Gide/Bio-Oss and CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss groups, containing 95 up-regulated proteins and 36 down-regulated proteins. KEGG database enrichment analysis showed actinin alpha 1 (ACTN1) and myosin heavy-Chain 9 (MYH9) are the main potential differential proteins related to osteogenesis, and they are enriched in the TJs pathway.

Conclusion: CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss materials are good biomaterials for bone regeneration which have strong osteoinductive activity. CGF-0.75%HLC-I/Bio-Oss materials can promote new bone formation, providing new ideas for the application of bone tissue engineering scaffold materials in oral clinics.

Canine Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Mediated Bone Regeneration is Enhanced in the Presence of Sub-Therapeutic Concentrations of BMP-2 in a Murine Calvarial Defect Model

Novel bone regeneration strategies often show promise in rodent models yet are unable to successfully translate to clinical therapy. Sheep, goats, and dogs are used as translational models in preparation for human clinical trials. While human MSCs (hMSCs) undergo osteogenesis in response to well-defined protocols, canine MSCs (cMSCs) are more incompletely characterized. Prior work suggests that cMSCs require additional agonists such as IGF-1, NELL-1, or BMP-2 to undergo robust osteogenic differentiation in vitro. When compared directly to hMSCs, cMSCs perform poorly in vivo. Thus, from both mechanistic and clinical perspectives, cMSC and hMSC-mediated bone regeneration may differ. The objectives of this study were twofold. The first was to determine if previous in vitro findings regarding cMSC osteogenesis were substantiated in vivo using an established murine calvarial defect model. The second was to assess in vitro ALP activity and endogenous BMP-2 gene expression in both canine and human MSCs. Calvarial defects (4 mm) were treated with cMSCs, sub-therapeutic BMP-2, or the combination of cMSCs and sub-therapeutic BMP-2. At 28 days, while there was increased healing in defects treated with cMSCs, defects treated with cMSCs and BMP-2 exhibited the greatest degree of bone healing as determined by quantitative μCT and histology. Using species-specific qPCR, cMSCs were not detected in relevant numbers 10 days after implantation, suggesting that bone healing was mediated by anabolic cMSC or ECM-driven cues and not via engraftment of cMSCs. In support of this finding, defects treated with cMSC + BMP-2 exhibited robust deposition of Collagens I, III, and VI using immunofluorescence. Importantly, cMSCs exhibited minimal ALP activity unless cultured in the presence of BMP-2 and did not express endogenous canine BMP-2 under any condition. In contrast, human MSCs exhibited robust ALP activity in all conditions and expressed human BMP-2 when cultured in control and osteoinduction media. This is the first in vivo study in support of previous in vitro findings regarding cMSC osteogenesis, namely that cMSCs require additional agonists to initiate robust osteogenesis. These findings are highly relevant to translational cell-based bone healing studies and represent an important finding for the field of canine MSC-mediated bone regeneration.

Spontaneous dog osteoarthritis - a One Medicine vision

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a global disease that, despite extensive research, has limited treatment options. Pet dogs share both an environment and lifestyle attributes with their owners, and a growing awareness is developing in the public and among researchers that One Medicine, the mutual co-study of animals and humans, could be beneficial for both humans and dogs. To that end, this Review highlights research opportunities afforded by studying dogs with spontaneous OA, with a view to sharing this active area of veterinary research with new audiences. Similarities and differences between dog and human OA are examined, and the proposition is made that suitably aligned studies of spontaneous OA in dogs and humans, in particular hip and knee OA, could highlight new avenues of discovery. Developing cross-species collaborations will provide a wealth of research material and knowledge that is relevant to human OA and that cannot currently be obtained from rodent models or experimentally induced dog models of OA. Ultimately, this Review aims to raise awareness of spontaneous dog OA and to stimulate discussion regarding its exploration under the One Medicine initiative to improve the health and well-being of both species.

Osteoarthritis occurs spontaneously in pet dogs, which often share environmental and lifestyle risk-factors with their owners. This Review aims to stimulate cooperation between medical and veterinary research under the One Medicine initiative to improve the welfare of dogs and humans.

Dogs have many analogous spontaneous diseases that result in end-stage osteoarthritis (OA).

Inbreeding and the predisposition of certain dog breeds for OA enable easier identification of candidate genetic associations than in outbred humans.

Dog OA subtypes offer a potential stratification rationale for aetiological differences and alignment to analogous human OA phenotypes.

The relatively compressed time course of spontaneous dog OA offers longitudinal research opportunities.

Collaboration with veterinary researchers can provide tissue samples from early-stage OA and opportunities to evaluate new therapeutics in a spontaneous disease model.

Awareness of the limitations and benefits of using clinical veterinary patients in research is important.

Nutrition consultation for an overweight growing Bernese Mountain Dog-A case report

In growing dogs, overweight is assimilated and attributed to a fast growth rate. Proper nutrition plays a very important role during growth as mistakes in feeding may lead to severe disease. This case report is an example for excessive weight gain during growth that, particularly in large breed dogs, may lead to skeletal disorders such as improper alignments of the limbs. If body weight gain exceeds the ideal range of the individual growth curve (by initially 4 kg in this case), fast growth may lead to growth disturbances and associated chronic diseases. These cases require a dietary adaption. However, the success in the nutritional management of the body weight relies largely on the owner's compliance.