Inhibition of the p38-MAPK signaling pathway suppresses the apoptosis and expression of proinflammatory cytokines in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes
Authors: Zong-Sheng Yin
He-Yan Sun
Kong-Zu Hu
Journal: Cytokine (2017)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: Apoptosis; Human chondrocytes; Osteoarthritis; Proinflammatory cytokines; Py38-MAPK signaling pathway.
Affiliations: Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China., Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Sections within Figures 2 and 6 appear similar to each other. Also, Figure 1B appears similar with a panel from Figure 1k of the article published by Lin Xiao, Dongping Gong, Loufeng Liang, Anwei Liang, Huaxin Liang, Xiayi Xu and Hongli Teng in Clinical Epigenetics 13 (2021) 53 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-021-01005-9, while Figure 4B appears similar with a panel from Figure 2A of the article published by Hongwei Chen, Shengdi Yang and Ruyi Shao in Arthritis Research &amp; Therapy 21 (2019) 271 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-019-2033-5. Although this article was published earlier than the other articles, the Editor decided to retract this article given concerns about the reliability of the data. Following the release of the concerns in the public domain, the authors contacted the journal to report that some of the experiments in this article were executed in the laboratory of a third-party company. The authors reportedly found that the results of these experiments were unreliable in later validation experiments. The authors would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 There seems to be an image duplication in Figure 2. Both images are of the control group, but they are supposed to be different IHC stainings, which is clearly not the case.  Moreover, there is something wrong with the flow cytometry plots. Even though the images are crips and high resolution, the individual data points are indiscernible. What has happened here?  Of particular note is the plot where the authors have been coloring outside the lines.  , 
 Can the authors confirm if theyu2019ve been in touch with the journal? , 
 #1 I have concerns.  , 
 Fig. 1.  The morphological changes in cartilage tissue between the case and control groups. Note: A, normal cartilage tissue stained with HE staining in the control group; B, normal cartilage tissue stained with Safranin O fast green staining in the control group; C, OA cartilage tissue stained with HE staining in the case group; D, OA cartilage tissue stained with Safranin O fast green staining in the case group .  Fig 1k from  Inhibition of HDAC4 by GSK3u03b2 leads to downregulation of KLF5 and ASK1 and prevents the progression of intravertebral disc degeneration ([Xiao et al 2021] ):  Representative micrographs showing disc tissue after Safranin O fast green staining .  Two unrelated teams of authors have somehow had access to the same microphotograph. , 
 Fig 4,  Identification results of chondrocytes isolation. Note: A, normal chondrocytes stained with toluidine blue staining; B; OA chondrocytes stained with toluidine blue staining; C, normal chondrocytes stained with immunocytochemical staining of collagen type II; D, OA chondrocytes stained with immunocytochemical staining of collagen type II.  One panel is a detail (180-deg flipped) of Fig 2A from  Long non-coding XIST raises methylation of TIMP-3 promoter to regulate collagen degradation in osteoarthritic chondrocytes after tibial plateau fracture ([Chen et al 2019] ):  Normal and OA cartilage tissues stained with toluidine blue .  ,