title: Alterative effects of an oral alginate extract on experimental rabbit osteoarthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease that causes disabilities in elderly. However, few agents with high efficacy and low side effects have been developed to treat OA. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the alginate extract named CTX in OA cell and rabbit models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CTX was formulated by hydrolyzing sodium alginate polymers with alginate lyase and then mixing with pectin. HPLC was used to analyze the CTX content. Human chondrosarcoma SW1353 cells treated with interleukin-1β were used as OA model cells to investigate the effects of CTX on chondrocyte inflammation and anabolism. CTX at concentrations up to 1000 μg/ml exerted low cytotoxicity. It inhibited the gene expression of proinflammatory matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) including MMP1, MMP3 and MMP13 in a dose-dependent manner and increased the mRNA level of aggrecan, the major proteoglycan in articular cartilage, at 1000 μg/ml. Thirteen-week-old New Zealand White rabbits underwent a surgical anterior cruciate ligament transection and were orally treated with normal saline, glucosamine or CTX for up to 7 weeks. Examinations of the rabbit femur and tibia samples demonstrated that the rabbits taking oral CTX at a dosage of 30 mg/kg/day suffered lesser degrees of articular stiffness and histological cartilage damage than the control rabbits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The gene expression profiles in the cell and the examinations done on the rabbit cartilage suggest that the alginate extract CTX is a pharmaco-therapeutic agent applicable for OA therapy.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsien-Tseng
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Orthopedics, En Chu Kong Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Shium
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu Xing St., Taipei, 110, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Fan
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Mastervet International Marketing Limited, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsuey-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu Xing St., Taipei, 110, Taiwan.|Mastervet International Marketing Limited, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Ecobio Inc., Nonsan, Chungbuk, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Yoon
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Ecobio Inc., Nonsan, Chungbuk, Korea.
authors.forename: Suk Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chian-Her
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu Xing St., Taipei, 110, Taiwan. yflin@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Yung-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. chenchho@tmu.edu.tw.|School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu Xing St., Taipei, 110, Taiwan. chenchho@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chien-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000464:Alginates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000633:toxicity; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010368:Pectins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D010368:Pectins; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; C507079:MMP13 protein, human; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13; C511768:MMP3 protein, human; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; C522360:MMP1 protein, human; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases; C016158:poly(beta-D-mannuronate) lyase