Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40646554›Full record

ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2025

Cartilage-protective effects of lopinavir/ritonavir: in vitro and in silico exploration of the HIF-1α/SOX9/IL-1β pathway.

Hanefi Ozbek, Ibrahim Yilmaz, Aslı Akyuz, Suray Pehlivanoglu, Duygu Yasar Sirin, Mehmet Albayrak, Omer Faruk Yilmaz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Hanefi OzbekDepartment of Medical Pharmacology, Usak University School of Medicine, Usak, 64200, Turkey. hanefi.ozbek@usak.edu.tr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8084-7855
Ibrahim YilmazUnit of Pharmacovigilance, Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ismail Fehmi Cumalioglu City Hospital, Tekirdag, 59020, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2003-6337
Aslı AkyuzDepartment of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, 59100, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0552-1051
Suray PehlivanogluDepartment of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, 42090, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7422-2974
Duygu Yasar SirinDepartment of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, 59100, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1224-442X
Mehmet AlbayrakDepartment of Medical Services and Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Istanbul Rumeli University, Istanbul, 34570, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4074-7024
Omer Faruk YilmazClinics of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, Corlu State Hospital, Tekirdag, 59850, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2937-6434

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to investigate the effects of Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Lop/r) on chondrocyte structure and extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity, as well as its impact on key proteins involved in anabolic and catabolic pathways, using both in vitro and in silico approaches.

methodsDrug-target interaction networks were constructed through bioinformatics analyses, and molecular docking was performed. Human primary chondrocytes were treated with Lop/r, and untreated cells served as controls. Cell viability, proliferation, and protein expression levels were assessed using standard in vitro techniques, including spectrophotometric assays and Western blotting.

resultsMolecular docking analyses revealed strong binding affinities between Lop/r and osteoarthritis-related targets such as HIF-1α, EP300, TNF, IL-6, KCNA5, and IL-1β, suggesting modulation of hypoxia, inflammatory, and epigenetic pathways. In vitro, Lop/r did not alter chondrocyte morphology or ECM structure and was not cytotoxic (p < 0.05). However, it significantly reduced the expression of critical proteins including HIF-1α, SOX9, and IL-1β (p < 0.05).

conclusionThese findings suggest that Lop/r may exert regulatory effects on cartilage-related molecular pathways and holds promise as a repurposed therapeutic agent for osteoarthritis. Further studies are warranted to confirm its potential in clinical applications.

Indexed as

ChondrocytesHypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha SubunitInterleukin-1betaLopinavirRitonavirSOX9 Transcription FactorCells, CulturedCell SurvivalComputer SimulationDrug CombinationsHumansMolecular Docking SimulationSignal TransductionDrug CombinationsHIF1A protein, humanHypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha SubunitIL1B protein, humanInterleukin-1betaLopinavirlopinavir-ritonavir drug combinationRitonavirSOX9 protein, humanSOX9 Transcription FactorChondrocyteHIF-1αIl-1βLopinavir/ritonavirSOX9

Identifiers

PMID40646554
PMCPMC12255043

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.