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Periodic knee injections of BMP‐7 delay cartilage degeneration induced by excessive running in rats
Author(s) -
Sekiya Ichiro,
Tang Tao,
Hayashi Masaya,
Morito Toshiyuki,
Ju YoungJin,
Mochizuki Tomoyuki,
Muneta Takeshi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of orthopaedic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1554-527X
pISSN - 0736-0266
DOI - 10.1002/jor.20840
Subject(s) - cartilage , degeneration (medical) , osteoarthritis , keratan sulfate , medicine , endocrinology , bone morphogenetic protein 2 , bone morphogenetic protein , chemistry , pathology , anatomy , proteoglycan , biochemistry , alternative medicine , gene , in vitro
Strenuous running of rats enhances mechanical stress on the knee, thereby inducing degeneration of articular cartilage. Bone morphogenetic protein‐7 (BMP‐7) has an inhibitory effect on cartilage degeneration, suggesting its usefulness for human osteoarthritis patients. However, its mode of administration should be investigated. We examined whether weekly knee injections of BMP‐7 delayed the progression of cartilage degeneration. Wistar rats were forced to run 30 km in 6 weeks on a rodent treadmill, and BMP‐7 was injected weekly into the knee. Macroscopically and histologically, this strenuous running regimen induced cartilage degeneration. Weekly injections of 250 ng BMP‐7 delayed the progression of cartilage degeneration. Immunohistochemically, in the control knee, type II collagen expression decreased, while BMP‐7 expression in chondrocytes slightly increased. Interestingly, weekly injection of BMP‐7 increased BMP‐7 expression even 9 days after the final injection. Disulfate disaccharide keratan sulfate in serum transiently increased in the control group, while it remained at a low level in the BMP‐7 group. Weekly BMP‐7 injection increased BMP‐7 expression in chondrocytes and its effect seemed to last more than 7 days. The effect of BMP‐7 could be monitored by serum keratan sulfate concentration. Periodical injections of BMP‐7 delayed progression of cartilage degeneration induced by excessive running in rats. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27: 1088–1092, 2009