A metabolic aspect of osteoarthritis: lipid as a possible contributor to the pathogenesis of cartilage degradation

• Published in: Clinical and experimental rheumatology Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 347 - 353
• Main Authors: MASUKO, K, MURATA, M, SUEMATSU, N, OKAMOTO, K, YUDOH, K, NAKAMURA, H, KATO, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pisa Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 01.03.2009
• Subjects: Adipokines - physiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chondrocytes - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Medical sciences; Metabolic Syndrome - physiopathology; Mice; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Obesity - physiopathology; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis - etiology; Osteoarthritis - metabolism; chondrocytes; Chondrocyte; Pathogenesis; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Rheumatology; Lipids; Metabolic diseases; metabolic disease; Lipid; Cartilage; Arthropathy; Degenerative disease; Osteoarthritis
• ISSN: 0392-856X; 1593-098X

Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered to be linked to obesity and body fat mass. Recent investigations, however, are aimed at clarifying the roles of adipose tissue-derived proteins and a wide variety of lipid mediators, including fatty acids, sphingolipids, and eicosanoids, in cartilage degradation in OA, in addition to the effects body weight itself. Here, we review recent progress in studies of OA, focusing on the potential role of lipid mediators in articular cartilage and introducing the concept that "OA is a metabolic disease" in which lipids essentially contribute to the pathophysiology of cartilage degradation.