Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the in vivo response of synoviocytes type A and B in the posterior joint capsule to knee immobilization and remobilization. Also, to correlate the immunohistochemical data with selected mRNA expression in the posterior joint capsule. Forty-two adult male Sprague–Dawley rats had one knee joint immobilized in flexion for durations of 1–4 weeks. Fifteen were harvested after immobilization and 15 were remobilized for 4 weeks. They were analyzed immunohistochemically with CD68 and CD55 antibodies as markers for synoviocytes type A and type B, respectively. Controls were 15 age-matched rats. The remaining 12 rats had their posterior capsule harvested and synoviocyte-specific CD68, CD55, and uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase (UDPGD) mRNA expression was measured. Controls were 12 sham-operated knees. Knee immobilization for 2 weeks significantly increased synoviocytes A:B staining ratio compared to controls (3.88 ± 1.39 vs. 1.83 ± 0.76; p < 0.05). Remobilization for 4 weeks abolished the increase. Remobilization of knees that were immobilized for 1 week also significantly lowered the synoviocytes A:B staining ratios compared to immobilized-only knees (0.66 ± 0.23 vs. 2.19 ± 0.54; p < 0.05) and to controls (0.66 ± 0.23 vs. 1.32 ± 0.29; p < 0.05). Consistent with the immunohistochemistry, mRNA expression of synoviocyte type B-specific CD55 and UDPGD genes were significantly lower in the capsules immobilized for 2 weeks (both p < 0.05). Knee immobilization and remobilization significantly modulated synoviocytes in vivo, stressing their mechanosensitive nature and possible contribution to immobility-induced changes of the joint capsule.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Ando A, Hagiwara Y, Onoda Y et al (2010) Distribution of type A and B synoviocytes in the adhesive and shortened synovial membrane during immobilization of the knee joint in rats. Tohoku J Exp Med 221:161–168. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.221.161
Croft AP, Campos J, Jansen K et al (2019) Distinct fibroblast subsets drive inflammation and damage in arthritis. Nature 570:246–251. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1263-7
El-gabalawy HS (2013) 53—synovial fluid analyses, synovial biopsy, and synovial pathology, Ninth Edit. Elsevier Inc, Amsterdam
Falconer J, Murphy AN, Young SP et al (2018) Review: synovial cell metabolism and chronic inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 70:984–999. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.40504
Ingram KR, Wann AKT, Angel CK et al (2008) Cyclic movement stimulates hyaluronan secretion into the synovial cavity of rabbit joints. J Physiol 586:1715–1729. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2007.146753
Iwanaga T, Shikichi M, Kitamura H et al (2000) Morphology and functional roles of synoviocytes in the joint. Arch Histol Cytol 63:17–31
McCarty WJ, Masuda K, Sah RL (2011) Fluid movement and joint capsule strains due to flexion in rabbit knees. J Biomech 44:2761–2767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.09.005
Momberger TS, Levick JR, Mason RM (2005) Hyaluronan secretion by synoviocytes is mechanosensitive. Matrix Biol 24:510–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matbio.2005.08.006
Pitsillides AA, Skerry TM, Edwards JC (1999) Joint immobilization reduces synovial fluid hyaluronan concentration and is accompanied by changes in the synovial intimal cell populations. Rheumatology (Oxford) 38:1108–1112. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/38.11.1108
Shanaj S, Donlin LT (2019) Synovial tissue: cellular and molecular phenotyping. Curr Rheumatol Rep 21:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-019-0858-1
Smith MD (2011) The normal synovium. Open Rheumatol J 5:100–106. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874312901105010100
Trudel G, Seki M, Uhthoff HK (2000) Synovial adhesions are more important than pannus proliferation in the pathogenesis of knee joint contracture after immobilization: an experimental investigation in the rat. J Rheumatol 27:351–357
Trudel G, Jabi M, Uhthoff HK (2003) Localized and adaptive synoviocyte proliferation characteristics in rat knee joint contractures secondary to immobility. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 84:1350–1356. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-9993(03)00233-8
Trudel G, Laneuville O, Coletta E et al (2014) Quantitative and temporal differential recovery of articular and muscular limitations of knee joint contractures; results in a rat model. J Appl Physiol 117:730–737. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00409.2014
Varghese F, Bukhari AB, Malhotra R, De A (2014) IHC profiler: an open source plugin for the quantitative evaluation and automated scoring of immunohistochemistry images of human tissue samples. PLoS ONE 9:e96801. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096801
Wong K, Sun F, Trudel G et al (2015) Temporal gene expression profiling of the rat knee joint capsule during immobilization-induced joint contractures. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 16:125. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-015-0588-0
Zhou H, Trudel G, Uhthoff HK, Laneuville O (2018) Range of extension correlates with posterior capsule length after knee remobilization. Med Sci Sports Exerc 50:2401–2408. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001741
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the ACVS staff for their assistance with the animal experiments, Ying Nie for preparation of rat knee sections, and Katherine Reilly, MSc, for assistance in optimization of IHC protocols.
Funding
This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant MOP 97831 to authors G.T. and O.L.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Conception and design of research: OL, GT. Acquisition of data: HZ. Data analysis: OL, HZ. Interpreted results of experiments: OL, GT, HZ. Prepared the figures and drafted the article: OL, HZ. Edited and revised the article: OL, GT, HZ. Approved final version of the article: OL, GT, HZ.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhou, H., Trudel, G. & Laneuville, O. Mechanical adaptation of synoviocytes A and B to immobilization and remobilization: a study in the rat knee flexion model. J Mol Hist 51, 605–611 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-020-09902-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-020-09902-8