Investigation of the short-term effect of chemonucleolysis with chondroitinase ABC.
Chondroitinase ABC (C-ABC) is expected to be a novel agent for chemonucleolysis. The effect of C-ABC was investigated by magnetic resonance (MR) and radiograph. C-ABC was administered into the lumbar intervertebral disks on the clinically normal beagles (n=5), in a dose of 50 microl (12.5 units as C-ABC). MR scans were performed pre-dose, and 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after administration of C-ABC, and the signal intensity (SI) of the nucleus pulposus was measured. Radiographs were taken pre-dose, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14 and 28 days post-dose, to evaluate narrowing of the disk space in terms of height index (HI). In addition, the quantity of the chondroitin sulfate (CS) and the hyaluronic acid (HA) in the nucleus pulposus were measured by high performance liquid chromatography on day 28 after dosing. SI and HI continuously decreased, following the injection to 37.1% and 78.9% of the pre-dose values, respectively. Statistically significant differences (p<0.01) were observed between the C-ABC group and the control group in the respects on day 1 post-dose. CS and HA contents of the nucleus pulposus were noted to be significantly decreased on day 28 (p<0.01) in the treated group. This agent proved to degenerate proteoglycans in the nucleus pulposus, thus progressively reducing the interdiskal pressure from day 1 post-dose onwards. It is concluded that C-ABC is expected to afford its efficacy from early in the course of chemonucleolysis.
Yamada
K
K
Department of Veterinary Clinical Radiology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan.
Tanabe
S
S
Ueno
H
H
Oinuma
A
A
Takahashi
T
T
Miyauchi
S
S
Shigeno
S
S
Hirose
T
T
Miyahara
K
K
Sato
M
M
D000818:Animals; D019765:Chondroitin ABC Lyase / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D004285:Dogs; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007404:Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography
D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D019765:Chondroitin ABC Lyase