title: Effects of chitosan on rat knee cartilages.
abstract: The aim of this work is to study the effects of chitosan on rat knee cartilages. 0.2 ml of 0.1% chitosan solution pH = 6.9 were injected inside rat knees articular cavity. One, three and six weeks after injection, histological and histomorphometric studies were performed on undecalcified samples embedded in polymethylmetacrylate. Results show that after 1 and 6 weeks: (i) chitosan slows significantly (P < 0.005) the decrease in epiphyseal cartilage thicknesses and (ii) increases significantly articular cartilage chondrocyte densities (P < 0.002). However chitosan solution induces a proliferation of fibrous tissue with abundant fibroblasts, fibrocytes and monocytes inside the joint and this proliferation is still present after 6 weeks. This study suggests that chitosan could act on the growth of epiphyseal cartilage and wound healing of articular cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherches Orthopédiques, UPRES-A CNRS 7052, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prudhommeaux
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sedel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guillemin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D048271:Chitosan; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007596:Joints; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002686:Chitin; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D048271:Chitosan