Kindlin-2 Promotes Chondrogenesis and Ameliorates IL-1beta-Induced Inflammation in Chondrocytes Cocultured with BMSCs in the Direct Contact Coculture System

Figure 3

Potential regulatory role of chondrocyte Kindlin-2 in PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in the direct contact coculture system. (a) Representative upregulated KEGG pathway categories affected by coculturing with BMSCs. (b) Altered protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, Col2, and aggrecan were detected using Western blotting in Kindlin-2 knockdown and overexpression chondrocytes in the direct contact coculture system. (c) Immunoblot images showing the effect of Kindlin-2 knockdown or overexpression on the expression of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and p-mTOR/mTOR in chondrocytes without coculturing. (d) Protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, Col2, and aggrecan were detected using Western blotting in Kindlin-2 knockdown and overexpression chondrocytes in the direct contact coculture system or Kindlin-2 sh-NC chondrocytes treated with LY294002 (an inhibitor of PI3K) before coculture. (e) Protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, Col2, and aggrecan were detected using Western blotting in Kindlin-2 knockdown and overexpression chondrocytes in the direct contact coculture system or Kindlin-2 overexpression chondrocytes treated with LY294002 (an inhibitor of PI3K) before coculture.

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