New role of calcium-binding fluorescent dye alizarin complexone in detecting permeability from articular cartilage to subchondral bone

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disorder characterized by the progressive deterioration of articular cartilage and concomitant alterations in subchondral bone architecture. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of OA remains poorly understood. In the present study, we explored whether the calcification in the articular cartilage occurred in the early stage of mouse OA model, generated by the surgery destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM), via the intra-articular injection of alizarin complexone due to its anionic nature for binding calcium-containing crystals. Although we did not observe the calcification in the articular cartilage of early stage of DMM mice, we unexpectedly identified alizarin complexone had the diffusion capacity for detecting the permeability from the articular cartilage to subchondral bone. Our data showed that the diffusion of alizarin complexone from the articular cartilage to calcified cartilage was greater in the early stage of DMM mice than that in sham controls. Additionally, we observed enhanced penetration of alizarin complexone through the periosteum in DMM mice compared to sham mice. In summary, we developed a novel imaging method that offers a valuable tool for further exploration of biochemical communication underlying OA development. Our findings provided new evidence that increased molecular interactions between the articular cartilage and subchondral bone is involved in the pathogenesis of OA progression.