title: The use of cyclosporine-A in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of cyclosporine-A in dogs with radiographic and physical evidence of chronic stifle osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten hound-type dogs with osteoarthritis induced by surgical transection of a cranial cruciate ligament followed by immediate stabilization of the stifle four years prior to study start were randomized to two groups. Cyclosporine-A was administered orally once daily at 5 mg/kg to one group for one month while the other group served as control. After a two week wash-out period during which the animals were not treated, and the degree of lameness was allowed to return to baseline, the treatments were switched so that the second group received treatment with cyclosporine-A and the first group served as control. Ground reaction forces were measured using a force platform in all animals at day zero and then every two weeks until the end of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cyclosporine-A did not alter the degree of lameness based on assessment of ground reaction forces.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At a dose of 5 mg/kg/day for 28 days, cyclosporine-A was not effective in decreasing lameness of dogs with chronic osteoarthritis induced by surgical transection of the cranial cruciate ligament.
authors: Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. souzac@missouri.edu
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: de Mello Souza
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Headrick
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Weigel
authors: D L
authors: DL
authors: Millis