Effect of Fucoidan Extracted from Mozuku on Experimental Cartilaginous Tissue Injury

Abstract

We investigated the effect of fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, on acceleration of healing of experimental cartilage injury in a rabbit model. An injured cartilage model was surgically created by introduction of three holes, one in the articular cartilage of the medial trochlea and two in the trochlear sulcus of the distal femur. Rabbits in three experimental groups (F groups) were orally administered fucoidan of seven different molecular weights (8, 50, 146, 239, 330, 400, or 1000 kD) for 3 weeks by screening. Control (C group) rabbits were provided water ad libitum. After the experimental period, macroscopic examination showed that the degree of filling in the fucoidan group was higher than that in the C group. Histologically, the holes were filled by collagen fiber and fibroblasts in the C group, and by chondroblasts and fibroblasts in the F groups. Image analysis of Alcian blue- and safranin O-stained F-group specimens showed increased production of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans (PGs), respectively. Some injured holes were well repaired both macroscopically and microscopically and were filled with cartilage tissues; cartilage matrices such as PGs and GAGs were produced in groups F 50, F 146, and F 239. Thus, fucoidan administration enhanced morphologically healing of cartilage injury.

Effects of fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus in reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

“…Additionally, fucoidan is known to mobilize CD34+ stem cell lineages, 23 , 24 while a recent animal study illustrated orally administered fucoidan utility in a cartilage repair model. 25 Orally delivered fucoidan can also act as an anti-thrombotic putatively via stimulation of peroxide by intestinal cells exposed to the fucoidan and an increase in prostacyclin, an inhibitor of platelet aggregation. 26 OA is associated with vascular pathologies, 27 , 28 and thus, fucoidan may act via this mechanism, when delivered in sufficient quantities.…”

Ajuga�decumbens stimulates mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and regenerates cartilage in a rabbit osteoarthritis model

“…The animal model was established using a previously published method ( 11 , 16 ). A total of 18 healthy Japanese Albino female rabbits, 12 weeks old and weighing 2.0±0.5 kg were purchased from Shimizu Laboratory Supplies Co., Ltd. (Kyoto, Japan) and acclimated for 1 week in the laboratory environment.…”

“…Images of restored areas, articular cartilage and the growth zone were captured using an OpticLab H850 (Plustek, Tokyo, Japan) and evaluated with ImageJ software version 1.49 (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA). The depth of restoration in the cartilaginous and subchondral bone matrices were measured based on the H&E staining according to a previously published method ( 11 , 16 ). With Safranin O staining, the red pixels indicating the presence of PGs were counted, while non-specific colored pixels were not included.…”

Marine-Inspired Approaches as a Smart Tool to Face Osteochondral Regeneration

“…The outstanding mechanical performance of the articular cartilage is given by both compositional and structural factors. In particular, the (hyaline) cartilage layer is prevalently composed of extracellular matrix consisting in water (70-80%), collagen (20-25%) and proteoglycans (PG), particularly aggrecans [55]. The latter act to collect and entrap water molecules inside the dense fiber network of the cartilage and have the function of expanding pressure, crucial for load distribution throughout its unique hierarchical structure and as a result of complex poro-viscoelastic properties.…”