title: Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on aggrecanase expression in articular cartilage in a rabbit model of osteoarthritis.
abstract: To investigate the in vivo effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the expression of aggrecanases and their endogenous inhibitor in a rabbit model of OA. Ten New Zealand white rabbits underwent bilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). One knee of each rabbit was randomly assigned to receive 100 μM DHEA dissolved in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) and the other was treated with DMSO only. The treatment was given once a week for 5 weeks, starting 4 weeks after transection. All rabbits were euthanized 9 weeks after ACLT treatment, and the knee joints were evaluated by gene expression analysis. Intra-articular administration of DHEA significantly reduced the gene expression of aggrecanases, while markly increasing that of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3), an endogenous inhibitor of aggrecanases. DHEA may have beneficial effects on OA by influencing the balance between aggrecanases and TIMP-3 through which DHEA may protect against OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Health Bureau of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. jack7386@163.com
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jia-Peng
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Li-Dong
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D019717:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D019717:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D010450:Endopeptidases; C083641:aggrecanase