Release of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines from Muscle and Bone Causes Tenocyte Death in a Novel Rotator Cuff In Vitro Explant Culture Model.

This study details the characterization of a mouse rotator cuff explant culture model, including bone, tendon, and muscle (BTM). Following harvest, BTM explants were maintained in stress-deprived culture for one week and tendon was then assessed for changes in cell viability, metabolism, matrix structure and content. Matrix turnover occurred throughout culture as manifested in both gene expression and biosynthesis, but this did not translate to net changes in total collagen or sulfated glycosaminoglycan content. Furthermore, tendon structure was not significantly altered throughout culture. However, we found significant cell death in BTM tendons after 3 days in culture, which we hypothesize is cytokine-induced. Using a targeted multiplex assay, we found high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines released to the culture medium from muscle and bone, levels that did cause cell death in tendon-alone controls. Overall, this model presents an innovative approach to understanding rotator cuff injury and tenocyte mechanobiology in a clinically-relevant tendon structure. Our model can be a powerful tool to investigate how mechanical and biological stimuli can alter normal tendon health and lead to tendon degeneration, and may provide a testbed for therapeutics for tendon repair. PMID: 29447021 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Connective Tissue Research - Category: Research Tags: Connect Tissue Res Source Type: research