Maintaining hypoxia environment of subchondral bone alleviates osteoarthritis progression

Abnormal subchondral bone remodeling featured by overactivated osteoclastogenesis leads to articular cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis (OA) progression, but the mechanism is unclear. We used lymphocyte cytosolic protein 1 (Lcp1) knockout mice to suppress subchondral osteoclasts in a mice OA model with anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT), and Lcp1(−/−) mice showed decreased bone remodeling in subchondral bone and retarded cartilage degeneration. For mechanisms, the activated osteoclasts in subchondral bone induced type-H vessels and elevated oxygen concentration, which ubiquitylated hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha subunit (HIF-1α) in chondrocytes and led to cartilage degeneration. Lcp1 knockout impeded angiogenesis, which maintained hypoxia environment in joints and delayed the OA progression. Stabilization of HIF-1α delayed cartilage degeneration, and knockdown of Hif1a abolished the protective effects of Lcp1 knockout. Last, we showed that Oroxylin A, an Lcp1-encoded protein l-plastin (LPL) inhibitor, could alleviate OA progression. In conclusion, maintaining hypoxic environment is an attractive strategy for OA treatment.