Effects of an orally administered mixture of chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride and manganese ascorbate on synovial fluid chondroitin sulfate 3B3 and 7D4 epitope in a canine cruciate ligament transection model ofosteoarthritis

Objective: To evaluate effects of an orally administered mixture of chondro itin sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride and manganese ascorbate (CS-G-M) on articular cartilage metabolism in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL ) deficient and reconstructed knees, as reflected by concentrations of syno vial fluid 383, 7D4 and total sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG). Methods: Sixteen adult dogs that underwent unilateral CCL transection were randomized into four groups. Thereafter. group I (N=3) had a sham CCL recon struction, group II (N=3) had CS-G-M and sham CCL reconstruction, group III (N=5) had CCL reconstruction, and group IV (N=5) had CS-G-M and CCL recons truction. Synovial fluid collected at 0, 1, 3 and 5 months was examined by ELISA for 383 and 7D4 epitope, and by DMMB assay for total GAG. Results: Synovial fluid from CCL transected knees of CS-G-M treated dogs co ntained significantly elevated concentrations of 383 (P=0.029), 7D4 (P=0.03 6) and 7D4/GAG (P=0.007) in comparison to controls, in a cross-sectional an alysis at 3 months. Furthermore, 7D4 and 7D4/GAG concentrations remained si gnificantly elevated (P=0.012) in CCL transected knees of CS-G-M treated do gs over the 5 month period. However. when epitope concentrations were expre ssed as a ratio of CCL-transected to contralateral non-operated knee, treat ment effect of CS-G-M was no longer significant. Reconstruction of the CCL had no significant effect on synovial fluid epitope. Conclusions: Administration of CS-G-M was associated with altered concentra tions of 383 and 7D4 epitope in synovial fluid, suggesting that these compo unds may act to modulate articular cartilage matrix metabolism in vivo. (C) 2001 OsteoArthritis Research Society International.