Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine in the cartilage and subchondral bone repair of dogs - Histological findings

Abstract

Chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate nutraceuticals are commonly used in the management of degenerative articular disease in veterinary routine. However, there are controversies on the contribution of these substances to articular cartilage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate-based veterinary nutraceutical on the repair of an induced osteochondral defect in a dog femoral condyle, by macroscopic, histological and histomorphometric analyses. The nutraceutical was orally administered the day following injury induction, every 24 hours (treated group, TG, n=24), compared with animals that did not receive the product (control group, CG, n=24). Six animals per group were anaesthetized for sample collection at 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after surgery. At 15 days, defects were macroscopically filled with red-pinkish tissue. After 30 days, whitish color tissue was observed, both in TG and CG animals, with firmer consistency to touch at 60 and 90 postoperative days. Histological analysis demonstrated that, in both groups, there was initial blood clot formation, which was subsequently substituted by a fibrin net, with capillary proliferation from the adjacent bone marrow and infiltration of mesenchymal cells in clot periphery. As cellular differentiation developed, repair tissue presented a fibrocartilage aspect most of the time, and new subchondral bone formation occurred in the deepest area corresponding to the defect. Histomorphometry suggested that the nutraceutical did not favor the articular cartilage repair process. It was concluded that nutraceutical did not significantly influence chondrocytes proliferation or hyaline architecture restoration.Keywords: degenerative articular disease, osteoarthritis, arthrosis, chondroprotective, cartilage RESUMO Os nutracêuticos compostos de sulfato de condroitina e glucosamina são comumente utilizados no manejo da doença articular degenerativa na rotina veterinária. Entretanto, existem controvérsias sobre a contribuição dessas substâncias à cartilagem articular. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia de um nutracêutico veterinário à base de sulfato de condroitina e glucosamina na reparação de defeitos osteocondrais induzidos no côndilo femoral de cães, através de análises macroscópica, histológica e histomorfométrica. O nutracêutico foi administrado no dia seguinte à indução da lesão, pela via oral, a cada 24 horas (grupo tratado -GT, 24 animais), sendo comparado a animais que não receberam o produto (grupo controle -GC, de igual número de animais

Terapêutica Da Osteoartrite Em Pequenos Animais: Métodos Farmacológicos, Não-Farmacológicos E Novas Medidas Terapeuticas

“…Os condroprotetores são produtos compostos por agentes semelhantes aos que compõem a matriz cartilaginosa e esses têm sido amplamente utilizados no tratamento da doença articular degenerativa (DAD) em medicina veterinária. Acredita-se que tenham ação antiinflamatória e sejam capazes de reduzir a perda de proteoglicanos e de colágeno através da inibição de enzimas degradadoras de cartilagem, além de terem ação estimulatória na síntese dessas mesmas substâncias, promovendo o aumento dos condrócitos e proliferação de matriz (ELEOTÉRIO et al, 2015).…”