Quantitative analysis of NF-kappaB-expression in cartilage and synovium of rat knee induced by intra-articular injection of synthetic lipid A.

OBJECTIVE

NF-kappaB expression in cartilage and synovium of rat knee after intra-articular injection of lipid A was investigated.

METHODS

Inflammation was evaluated in histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue and immunostained with monoclonal anti-NF-kappaB antibody or monoclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody.

RESULTS

Inflammatory cell infiltration into the synovium, hyperplasia of synovial lining layers, loss of metachromasia of cartilage, TNF-alpha-positive cells and NF-kappaB-positive cells in the synovium and cartilage were observed in all 26 rat knees intra-articularly injected with lipid A. The numbers of TNF-alpha-positive and NF-kappaB-positive synovial cells and chondrocytes after the injection were significantly greater than those in knees injected with triethylamine (p < 0.05). The amount of inflammatory cell infiltration into the synovium, synovial lining layers, TNF-alpha-positive synovial cells and NF-kappaB-positive synovial cells 12 h after the injection was significantly smaller than those after 1 day (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Intra-articular injection of lipid A induced NF-kappaB expression in cartilage and synovium. Cartilage degeneration started earlier than synovitis in this model. Quantitative analysis of NF-kappaB in cartilage might be useful to evaluate the extreme acute phase of cartilage degeneration.