Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Pathogenesis of osteoarthritis is poorly understood, however, studies have demonstrated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in the progression of osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the changes of VEGF mRNA expression of synovium in rabbit osteoarthritis and to evaluate the effect of sodium hyaluronate on its expression.

METHODS: Twenty four white rabbits were divided into the normal control, physiologic saline, and sodium hyaluronate groups. The unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) was performed in the physiologic saline and sodium hyaluronate groups. At weeks 4 after operation, rabbits in the physiologic saline group were injected 0.3 mL physiologic saline, and in the sodium hyaluronate group received 10 g/L sodium hyaluronate injection, once per week for 5 successive weeks. All the animals were sacrificed at week 10 after operation. The cartilage changes on the medial femoral condyles were graded separately. VEGF expression of synovium was detected by using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The macroscopic score showed that the cartilage degeneration in the physiologic saline group was significantly more severe than that of the normal control and sodium hyaluronate groups (P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF mRNA was obviously decreased in the physiologic saline group than that of the normal control group (P < 0.05), of which was increased in thesodium hyaluronate group, but still smaller than the normal control group (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the decreased VEGF expression in synovium may involved in the progression of osteoarthritis, and sodium hyaluronate has protective effect on articular cartilage by up-regulating the VEGF expression.