Effect of calcitonin on matrix metalloproteinase 1 of cartilage of rabbit knee joint with osteoarthritis / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective]To assess whether calcitonin exerts an chondroprotective action in unstable knees which induce experimental osteoarthritis and its effect to MMP-1.[Method]Twenty 6-month New Zealand rabbits underwent anterior cruciate ligament transaction(ACLT) and were divided into two groups (ACLT group and ACLT+CT group) randomly after transaction on day 7 postsurgery. ACLT+CT group rabbits received a daily subcutaneous injection of salmon calcitonin at a dose of 5 IU per kg of body weight for six weeks.ACLT group were treated with the normal saline at the same dose. All animals were sacrificed 7 weeks postsurgery. The articular cartilage degeneration of medial femoral condyle was evaluated at mascroscopically and microscopically. The mRNA expression and tissue level of MMP 1 was detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.[Result]Cartilage degradation in ACLT group was significantly more severe than that in ACLT+CT group both in microscopic grading scale and in Mankin's grading scale (P