Horton W E, Feng L, Adams C
Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Matrix Biol. 1998 Jun;17(2):107-15. doi: 10.1016/s0945-053x(98)90024-5.
There is increasing evidence that chondrocyte apoptosis plays an important role in cartilage development, aging and disease. A variety of morphological and biochemical studies have identified apoptotic chondrocytes in both growth plate and articular cartilage of a variety of species. In addition, there is an ever increasing list of diverse stimuli that can induce chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro. A feedback loop regulating chondrocyte apoptosis in the growth plate has been described that includes Indian Hedgehog, parathyroid hormone-related protein and Bcl-2. The molecular mechanism regulating apoptosis in articular cartilage is still under investigation. Future studies should elucidate more fully how abnormal regulation of chondrocyte apoptosis may contribute to the development of chondrodysplasias and chondrosarcomas. Also, it will be of importance to define the relationship between chondrocyte apoptosis and the regulation of chondrocyte-specific gene expression.
越来越多的证据表明，软骨细胞凋亡在软骨发育、衰老和疾病中起重要作用。各种形态学和生物化学研究已在多种物种的生长板和关节软骨中鉴定出凋亡软骨细胞。此外，能在体外诱导软骨细胞凋亡的各种刺激因素的清单也在不断增加。已描述了一个调节生长板中软骨细胞凋亡的反馈回路，其中包括印度刺猬因子、甲状旁腺激素相关蛋白和Bcl-2。调节关节软骨细胞凋亡的分子机制仍在研究中。未来的研究应更全面地阐明软骨细胞凋亡的异常调节如何可能导致软骨发育异常和软骨肉瘤的发生。此外，确定软骨细胞凋亡与软骨细胞特异性基因表达调节之间的关系也很重要。
