Samples with too low RNA quantity or quality were excluded from gene expression analysis. Criteria for inclusion were defined as follows: RNA concentration >7 ng/μL and 260/280 absorption ratio >1.6 (under these conditions, the 260/230 absorption ratio does not have a strong effect on the RT‐PCR outcome). For all samples meeting these requirements, reverse transcription was performed using TaqMan reverse transcription reagents (TaqMan RT buffer, 5.5 μM MgCl2, 500 μM each deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP), 2.5 μM random hexamers, 0.4 U/μL RNase inhibitor, and 1.35 U/μL Multiscribe reverse transcriptase; Applied Biosystems, Forster City, CA, USA). For all samples, 500 ng of total RNA was transcribed in 20 μL reaction mixture and the resulting cDNA was diluted 1:4 Tris‐ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Tris‐EDTA) buffered RNase‐free water. For all samples, real‐time PCR was performed using TaqMan Gene Expression Master Mix (Applied Biosystems) with QuantStudio 6 Flex instrument (Applied Biosystems). The following genes were analyzed: collagen type Iα1 (COL1), collagen type IIα1 (COL2), aggrecan (ACAN), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 (ADAMTS4). The 18S ribosomal RNA (18S) and glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were used as endogenous controls. Primers and TaqMan probes were supplied by Microsynth or Applied Biosystems, using the same sequences as in previous studies.18 , 19
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