title: Effects of nicotine on a rat model of early stage osteoarthritis.
abstract: The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of nicotine on articular cartilage degeneration and inflammation in a rat model of early stage osteoarthritis (OA), using T2 mapping. In this study, a rat model of early stage OA was established by immobilizing the left knee joints of adult male rats for two weeks. Subsequently, rats were fed with nicotine for two and four weeks. Changes in the articular cartilage from the medial femoral condylar region of the knee were evaluated by gross observation and histological grading with the contents of cartilage matrix detected. T2 values of the articular cartilage were estimated through high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (7.0 T). Levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assessed by ELISA. The expression of TNF-α and the cholinergic receptor, α7nAChR, in the synovial tissue was measured by RT-PCR. Nicotine treatment ameliorated cartilage destruction, promoted matrix production, reduced the serum level of TNF-α and the expression of TNF-α in the synovial tissue, and increased the expression of α7nAChR in the synovial tissue in the rat model of early stage OA. In conclusion, nicotine prevented cartilage damage and had an anti-inflammatory effect in a rat model of early stage OA. Thus nicotine may have potential as a therapeutic strategy for early stage OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China ; Cartilage Regeneration Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qiangrong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China ; Cartilage Regeneration Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China ; Cartilage Regeneration Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Junwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Fengyong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China ; Cartilage Regeneration Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Nicotine; T2 mapping; cartilage degeneration; early stage OA; α7nAChR