Mechanically mediated joint degeneration and cartilage dyshomeostasis is implicated in highly prevalent diseases such as osteoarthritis. Increasingly, MicroRNAs are being associated with maintaining the normal state of cartilage, making them an exciting and potentially key contributor to joint health and disease onset. Here, we present a summary of current in vitro and in vivo models which can be used to study the role of mechanical load and MicroRNAs in joint degeneration, including: non-invasive murine models of PTOA, surgical models which involve ligament transection, and unloading models based around immobilisation of joints or removal of load from the joint through suspension. We also discuss how zebrafish could be used to advance this field, namely through the availability of transgenic lines relevant to cartilage homeostasis and the ability to accurately map strain through the cartilage, enabling the response of downstream MicroRNA targets to be followed dynamically at a cellular level in areas of high and low strain.

机械介导的关节退化和软骨动态平衡与骨关节炎等高度流行的疾病有关。 MicroRNA 越来越多地与维持软骨的正常状态相关，这使它们成为关节健康和疾病发生的令人兴奋且潜在的关键因素。在这里，我们总结了当前可用于研究机械负荷和 MicroRNA 在关节退变中的作用的体外和体内模型，包括：PTOA 的非侵入性小鼠模型、涉及韧带横断和卸载的手术模型基于关节固定或通过悬架去除关节负载的模型。我们还讨论了如何利用斑马鱼来推进这一领域的发展，即通过与软骨稳态相关的转基因系的可用性以及通过软骨准确绘制应变图的能力，从而能够在细胞水平上动态跟踪下游 MicroRNA 靶标的反应在高应变和低应变区域。