ArticleStem cell research & therapy2021
Melatonin contributes to the hypertrophic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived chondrocytes via activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway : Melatonin promotes MSC-derived chondrocytes hypertrophy.
Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- The regulatory significance of chondrocyte hypertrophy in maintaining chondrocyte homeostasis, regeneration and repair.Future science OA · 2026Review
- Synthesis and biological evaluation of Phorbazole D analogues identify IO-5a as a promoter of hUC-MSC chondrogenic differentiation.Molecular diversity · 2026Article
- 3D printed hydrogel scaffold incorporating keratin and melatonin-loaded nanomicelles for cartilage tissue engineering.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Overcoming challenges in cartilage regeneration: The role of chondrogenic inducers.Bioengineering & translational medicine · 2026Review
- WNT Signaling Factors as Potential Synovial Inflammation Moderators in Patients with Hip Osteoarthritis.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- Aberrant Tryptophan Metabolism Manipulates Osteochondral Homeostasis.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Review
- Cartilage defect repair in a rat model via a nanocomposite hydrogel loaded with melatonin-loaded gelatin nanofibers and menstrual blood stem cells: an in vitro and in vivo study.Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine · 2024Article
- Mussel-inspired cortical bone-adherent bioactive composite hydrogels promote bone augmentation through sequential regulation of endochondral ossification.Materials today. Bio · 2023Article
- Melatonin Attenuates the Progression of Osteoarthritis in Rats by Inhibiting Inflammation and Related Oxidative Stress on the Surface of Knee Cartilage.Orthopaedic surgery · 2022Article
- The effect of melatonin on the mouse ameloblast-lineage cell line ALCs.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- The circadian clock has roles in mesenchymal stem cell fate decision.Stem cell research & therapy · 2022Review
- Treatment and application of stem cells from different sources for cartilage injury: a literature review.Annals of translational medicine · 2022Review
- Melatonin and the Programming of Stem Cells.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Ferroptosis-related gene signatures in neuroblastoma associated with prognosis.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2022Article
- Role of Canonical Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Regulating Chondrocytic Hypertrophy in Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Cartilage Tissue Engineering.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2022Review
- CaIn vivo (Athens, Greece)Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHypertrophy is a critical process for chondrocyte differentiation and maturation during endochondral ossification, which is responsible for the formation of long bone and postnatal longitudinal growth. Increasing evidence suggests that melatonin, an indole hormone, plays a pivotal role in chondrogenesis. However, little is known about the effects of melatonin on the terminal differentiation of chondrocytes.
methodsMesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived chondrocytes generated by a high-density micromass culture system were induced to undergo hypertrophic differentiation. Melatonin-mediated hypertrophic differentiation was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR) analysis, histological staining and immunohistochemistry. Activation of the Wnt signaling pathway was evaluated by PCR array, RT-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence. XAV-939, a Wnt signaling pathway antagonist, was further used to determine whether the effect of melatonin on chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation was mediated occurred by activation of Wnt signaling pathway.
resultsHistological staining showed melatonin increased chondrocyte cell volume and the expression of type X collagen but decreased the expression of type II collagen compared with the control group. RT-PCR showed that melatonin significantly up-regulated the gene expressions of biomarkers of hypertrophic chondrocytes, including type X collagen, alkaline phosphatase, runt-related transcription factor 2, Indian hedgehog and parathyroid hormone-related protein receptor, and melatonin down-regulated the mRNA expression of hallmarks of chondrocytes, including parathyroid hormone-related protein. PCR array showed that the effect of melatonin on chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation was accompanied by the up-regulation of multiple target genes of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, and this effect was blocked by XAV-939.
conclusionsThe current findings demonstrate that melatonin enhances the hypertrophic differentiation of MSC-derived chondrocytes through the Wnt signaling pathway. Our findings add evidence to the role of melatonin in promoting bone development and highlight the positive effects of melatonin on terminal differentiation of chondrocytes.
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