Enrica Bianchi1, Lorenzo Di Cesare Mannelli2, Cristina Menicacci3, Paola Lorenzoni4, Margherita Aglianò4, Carla Ghelardini2. 1. Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Siena University Medical School, Siena, Italy. 2. Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Area and Child Health, NEUROFARBA, Pharmacology Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 3. Siena University Medical School, Siena, Italy. 4. Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Abstract
AIMS: in the present study, our aim was to validate in vivo the prophylactic role of acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) using an established knee osteoarthritis (OA) animal model which mimics the pathological changes of OA in humans, targeting cartilage and causing chondrocyte death. MAIN METHODS: animal model was obtained by an intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) into rat femorotibial joint space. Pain was measured in animals submitted to MIA model by paw pressure and compression behavioral tests in the presence or absence of ALC. KEY FINDINGS: morphological analysis of knee-joint from MIA and ALC co-treated rats showed that the total pathological score attributed to histological findings was dramatically lower in rats treated with MIA in the presence of ALC. OA chondrocyte overexpression of pathogenic collagenase matrix-metallopeptidase-13 (MMP13) could be decreased in knee-cartilage from MIA/ALC rats; whereas type II collagen (COL2) expression level could be partially increased to control value. ALC twice daily treatment was able to attenuate pain in OA rat knee as revealed by mechanical behavioral tests. SIGNIFICANCE: in our experiments, pain that is usually associated with OA, was correlated with the severity of histopathological findings. Our findings show that there is a place for ALC as chondroprotective agents in cartilage degradation and strongly support the prophylactic and therapeutic potentials of ALC in knee-OA patients.
AIMS: in the present study, our aim was to validate in vivo the prophylactic role of acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) using an established knee osteoarthritis (OA) animal model which mimics the pathological changes of OA in humans, targeting cartilage and causing chondrocyte death. MAIN METHODS: animal model was obtained by an intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) into rat femorotibial joint space. Pain was measured in animals submitted to MIA model by paw pressure and compression behavioral tests in the presence or absence of ALC. KEY FINDINGS: morphological analysis of knee-joint from MIA and ALC co-treated rats showed that the total pathological score attributed to histological findings was dramatically lower in rats treated with MIA in the presence of ALC. OA chondrocyte overexpression of pathogenic collagenase matrix-metallopeptidase-13 (MMP13) could be decreased in knee-cartilage from MIA/ALCrats; whereas type II collagen (COL2) expression level could be partially increased to control value. ALC twice daily treatment was able to attenuate pain in OA rat knee as revealed by mechanical behavioral tests. SIGNIFICANCE: in our experiments, pain that is usually associated with OA, was correlated with the severity of histopathological findings. Our findings show that there is a place for ALC as chondroprotective agents in cartilage degradation and strongly support the prophylactic and therapeutic potentials of ALC in knee-OA patients.
Authors: D R Haudenschild; A K Carlson; D L Zignego; J H N Yik; J K Hilmer; R K June Journal: Osteoarthritis Cartilage Date: 2018-12-18 Impact factor: 6.576
Authors: Nora M Aborehab; Mahitab H El Bishbishy; Abeer Refaiy; Nermien E Waly Journal: BMC Complement Altern Med Date: 2017-11-22 Impact factor: 3.659