Browsing by Author "Shutter, Jennifer"

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    CAMKK2 is Upregulated in Primary Human Osteoarthritis and its Inhibition Protects Against Chondrocyte Apoptosis
    (Elsevier, 2023) Dilley, Julian E.; Seetharam, Abhijit; Ding, Xinchun; Bello, Margaret A.; Shutter, Jennifer; Burr, David B.; Natoli, Roman M.; McKinley, Todd O.; Sankar, Uma; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Objective: To investigate the role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2) in human osteoarthritis. Materials and methods: Paired osteochondral plugs and articular chondrocytes were isolated from the relatively healthier (intact) and damaged portions of human femoral heads collected from patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis (OA). Cartilage from femoral plugs were either flash frozen for gene expression analysis or histology and immunohistochemistry. Chondrocyte apoptosis in the presence or absence of CAMKK2 inhibition was measured using flow cytometry. CAMKK2 overexpression and knockdown in articular chondrocytes were achieved via Lentivirus- and siRNA-mediated approaches respectively, and their effect on pro-apoptotic and cartilage catabolic mechanisms was assessed by immunoblotting. Results: CAMKK2 mRNA and protein levels were elevated in articular chondrocytes from human OA cartilage compared to paired healthier intact samples. This increase was associated with elevated catabolic marker matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13), and diminished anabolic markers aggrecan (ACAN) and type II collagen (COL2A1) levels. OA chondrocytes displayed enhanced apoptosis, which was suppressed following pharmacological inhibition of CAMKK2. Levels of MMP13, pSTAT3, and the pro-apoptotic marker BAX became elevated when CAMKK2, but not its kinase-defective mutant was overexpressed, whereas knockdown of the kinase decreased the levels of these proteins. Conclusions: CAMKK2 is upregulated in human OA cartilage and is associated with elevated levels of pro-apoptotic and catabolic proteins. Inhibition or knockdown of CAMKK2 led to decreased chondrocyte apoptosis and catabolic protein levels, whereas its overexpression elevated them. CAMKK2 may be a therapeutic target to prevent or mitigate human OA.
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    Pharmacologic or genetic interference with atrogene signaling protects against glucocorticoid-induced musculoskeletal and cardiac disease
    (American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2024-11-08) Sato, Amy Y.; Cregor, Meloney; McAndrews, Kevin; Schurman, Charles A.; Schaible, Eric; Shutter, Jennifer; Vyas, Punit; Adhikari, Bhawana; Willis, Monte S.; Boerma, Marjan; Alliston, Tamara; Bellido, Teresita; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Despite their beneficial actions as immunosuppressants, glucocorticoids (GC) have devastating effects on the musculoskeletal and cardiac systems, as long-term treated patients exhibit high incidence of falls, bone fractures, and cardiovascular events. Herein, we show that GC upregulate simultaneously in bone, skeletal muscle, and the heart the expression of E3 ubiquitin ligases (atrogenes), known to stimulate the proteasomal degradation of proteins. Activation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling with the VDR ligands calcitriol or eldecalcitol prevented GC-induced atrogene upregulation in vivo and ex vivo in bone/muscle organ cultures and preserved tissue structure/mass and function of the 3 tissues in vivo. Direct pharmacologic inhibition of the proteasome with carfilzomib also conferred musculoskeletal protection. Genetic loss of the atrogene MuRF1-mediated protein ubiquitination in ΔRING mice afforded temporary or sustained protection from GC excess in bone or skeletal and heart muscle. We concluded that the atrogene pathway downstream of MuRF1 underlies GC action in bone, muscle, and the heart, and it can be pharmacologically or genetically targeted to confer protection against the damaging actions of GC simultaneously in the 3 tissues.