Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2018 Jan;30(1):108-113. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000463.
Lipids are bioactive molecules that can affect several biological functions. Technological developments allowing identification of novel lipid species and the study of their function have led to a significant advance in our understanding of lipid biology and their involvement in various diseases. This is particularly relevant for diseases associated with obesity in which lipid accumulation could be involved in pathogenesis. Here, we focus on osteoarthritis, a chronic joint disease aggravated by obesity, and will present the latest findings regarding the involvement of lipids in disease development and progression.
Recent studies indicate a possible involvement of n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acid and their anti-inflammatory and proresolving derivatives in osteoarthritis. These lipids were identified in the osteoarthritis joint, were found to have beneficial effects on cartilage in vitro and reduced pain in humans and animal models. Moreover, increased levels of cholesterol transport molecules, such as LDL particles, were recently associated with a higher risk of developing hand osteoarthritis in women and with more severe inflammation and osteophyte formation in osteoarthritis animal models.
Together, these findings indicate that lipids are a promising target for future therapeutic intervention in osteoarthritis and open exciting possibilities for future research.
脂质是生物活性分子，可影响多种生物学功能。技术的发展使我们能够识别新型脂质并研究其功能，从而使我们对脂质生物学及其在各种疾病中的作用有了更深入的了解。这在与肥胖相关的疾病中尤为重要，因为脂质积累可能与发病机制有关。在这里，我们重点关注骨关节炎，这是一种由肥胖引起的慢性关节疾病，并将介绍最新发现的脂质在疾病发展和进展中的作用。
最近的研究表明，n-3 多不饱和脂肪酸及其抗炎和促分解代谢衍生物可能与骨关节炎有关。这些脂质在骨关节炎关节中被鉴定出来，在体外对软骨有有益的作用，并能减轻人类和动物模型的疼痛。此外，胆固醇转运分子（如 LDL 颗粒）的水平升高最近与女性手部骨关节炎的发病风险增加以及骨关节炎动物模型中炎症和骨赘形成更严重相关。
这些发现表明，脂质是骨关节炎未来治疗干预的一个有前途的靶点，并为未来的研究开辟了令人兴奋的可能性。
