Li Zihao, Huang Ziyu, Bai Lunhao
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Foreign Languages College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Feb 11;9:628330. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.628330. eCollection 2021.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease. With the increasing aging population, the associated socio-economic costs are also increasing. Analgesia and surgery are the primary treatment options in late-stage OA, with drug treatment only possible in early prevention to improve patients' quality of life. The most important structural component of the joint is cartilage, consisting solely of chondrocytes. Instability in chondrocyte balance results in phenotypic changes and cell death. Therefore, cartilage degradation is a direct consequence of chondrocyte imbalance, resulting in the degradation of the extracellular matrix and the release of pro-inflammatory factors. These factors affect the occurrence and development of OA. The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) belongs to the purinergic receptor family and is a non-selective cation channel gated by adenosine triphosphate. It mediates Na, Ca influx, and K efflux, participates in several inflammatory reactions, and plays an important role in the different mechanisms of cell death. However, the relationship between P2X7R-mediated cell death and the progression of OA requires investigation. In this review, we correlate potential links between P2X7R, cartilage degradation, and inflammatory factor release in OA. We specifically focus on inflammation, apoptosis, pyroptosis, and autophagy. Lastly, we discuss the therapeutic potential of P2X7R as a potential drug target for OA.
骨关节炎（OA）是最常见的关节疾病。随着人口老龄化加剧，相关的社会经济成本也在增加。镇痛和手术是晚期OA的主要治疗选择，药物治疗仅在早期预防中可行，以提高患者的生活质量。关节最重要的结构成分是软骨，仅由软骨细胞组成。软骨细胞平衡的不稳定会导致表型变化和细胞死亡。因此，软骨降解是软骨细胞失衡的直接后果，导致细胞外基质降解和促炎因子释放。这些因素影响OA的发生和发展。P2X7受体（P2X7R）属于嘌呤能受体家族，是一种由三磷酸腺苷门控的非选择性阳离子通道。它介导钠、钙内流和钾外流，参与多种炎症反应，并在不同的细胞死亡机制中起重要作用。然而，P2X7R介导的细胞死亡与OA进展之间的关系需要研究。在本综述中，我们关联了OA中P2X7R、软骨降解和炎症因子释放之间的潜在联系。我们特别关注炎症、凋亡、焦亡和自噬。最后，我们讨论了P2X7R作为OA潜在药物靶点的治疗潜力。
