EVALUATION OF CHONDROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF HYALURONIC ACID IN A RAT MODEL OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Objective: To evaluate the chondroprotective effects of hyaluronic acid in a rat model of osteoarthritis. Study Design: Laboratory based experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, in alliance with National Institute of health, Islamabad and Department of Pathology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi, from Apr to Jun 2019. Methodology: Sixteen (16) rats of Sprague Dawley breed were procured in this study. Osteoarthritis was induced in right knee joint of rats by surgical resection of medial meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament. They were allocated into two (02) groups with eight (08) rats in both groups. Group-I was control group that was treated with 0.2 ml intra articular saline once weekly for four weeks. While group-II was treatment group that was intra particularly administered with 0.2ml hyaluronic acid once weekly for four weeks. One week after the last dosage, gait pattern of the animals was scored. Then animals were sacrificed and a part of proximal tibia was obtained for histopathologic analysis. Results: Mean gait score of control group and treatment group was 3.25 ± 0.707 and 1.00 ± 0.756 respectively with a statistically significant p-value of <0.001, while mean histopathological Modified Mankin score of control and treatment group was 11.5 ± 1.195 and 5.50 ± 1.195 respectively with a significant p-value of <0.001. Conclusion: Intra articular viscosupplementation of hyaluronic acid in rat model of osteoarthritis resulted in improved gait pattern and histopathology.