title: Establishment of a rat model of lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis using intraarticular injection of urinary plasminogen activator.
abstract: Lumbar facet joint (LFJ) osteoarthritis (OA) is an important etiology of low back pain. Several animal models of LFJ OA have been established using intraarticular injection of various chemicals. This study aimed to establish a rat model of LFJ OA using urinary plasminogen activator (uPA). Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with intraarticular injection in the L5-L6 facet joints with uPA (OA group, n = 40) or normal saline (vehicle group, n = 40). Mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral hind paws were evaluated using von Frey hairs and a thermoalgesia instrument, respectively. Toluidine blue staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemical examination of the LFJ was performed. Treatment with uPA induced cartilage damage, synovitis, and proliferation of synovial cells in the fact joints. The OA group showed significantly higher hyperalgesia in the hind paws in comparison with the vehicle group and normal controls (P < 0.05). Expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS in the LFJ cartilage in the OA group was significantly increased (P < 0.05). A rat model of LFJ OA was successfully established using intraarticular injection of uPA. This animal model is convenient and shows good resemblance to human OA pathology.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China [2] Department of Orthopedics, The 94th Hospital of Chinese PLA, Nanchang 330002, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Xun
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Guang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005684:Gait; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D013585:Synovitis / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000633:toxicity*; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator