Effects of intra-articular administration of glucosamine and a peptidyl-glucosamine derivative in a rabbit model of experimental osteoarthritis: a pilot study.
The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the effects of glucosamine (GlcN) and its N-acetyl-phenylalanine derivative (NAPA) in Vitamin A model of osteoarthritis (OA) in rabbits. GlcN or NAPA or saline solution was intra-articularly administered in rabbit OA knees. Histological analysis revealed that treatment with GlcN or NAPA was associated with more homogeneous chondrocyte cellularity, absence of fissures and fragmentation and more intense staining of the matrix with Alcian Blue compared to the articular surfaces of the knees treated with saline solution. Comparative in vitro study performed on rabbit primary chondrocytes revealed that GlcN and NAPA were also able to counteract the IL-1beta-upregulation of genes coding for metalloproteases and inflammatory cytokines. Our preliminary in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that GlcN and NAPA could play a disease-modifying protective role in OA by an anti-catabolic effect and an anti-inflammatory activity on chondrocytes.
Scotto d'Abusco
Anna
A
Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. anna.scottodabusco@uniroma1.it
Corsi
Alessandro
A
Grillo
Maria Grazia
MG
Cicione
Claudia
C
Calamia
Valentina
V
Panzini
Gianluca
G
Sansone
Anna
A
Giordano
Cesare
C
Politi
Laura
L
Scandurra
Roberto
R
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011817:Rabbits
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D005944:Glucosamine