Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Denizli State Hospital, Denizli, Turkey.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024 Jun;202(6):2744-2754. doi: 10.1007/s12011-023-03872-0. Epub 2023 Sep 28.
This study aimed to examine the anti-inflammatory properties of boric acid (BA) in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in rats, evaluating its biochemical and histopathological therapeutic effects. A KOA rat model was induced by injecting monosodium iodoacetate into the knee joint. Random assignment was performed for the experimental groups as follows: group-1(control), group-2(KOA control), group-3 (BA:4 mg/kg, orally), group-4(BA:10 mg/kg, orally), group-5(BA:4 mg/kg, intra-articularly), and group-6(BA:10 mg/kg, intra-articularly). The rats received 100 µL of BA intra-articularly on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 or 1 mL orally once a day (5 days/week) for 4 weeks. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) were measured. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on knee joint samples using specific antibodies for IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-13, and nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS-2). Group-2 exhibited higher serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels and MMP-13 activity than group-1 (P < 0.05). However, IL-1β and TNF-α levels and MMP-13 activity were lower in all treatment groups than in group-2, with statistically significant reductions observed in groups-4, 5, and 6. Histopathologically, group-2 displayed joint space narrowing, cartilage degeneration, and deep fissures. Groups-5 and 6 demonstrated significant joint space enlargement, articular cartilage tissue regeneration, and immunostaining patterns similar to those in group-1. Immunohistochemically, group-2 showed significant increases in IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-13, and NOS-2 expression. However, all treatment groups exhibited reductions in these expression levels compared to group-2, with statistically significant decreases observed in groups-5 and 6 (P < 0.01). BA shows potential efficacy in reducing inflammation in experimental KOA model in rats. It may be a promising therapeutic agent for KOA, warranting further clinical studies for validation.
本研究旨在探讨硼酸（BA）治疗大鼠膝骨关节炎（KOA）的抗炎特性，评估其生化和组织病理学的治疗效果。通过向膝关节注射单碘乙酸钠诱导 KOA 大鼠模型。将实验动物随机分为以下实验组：第 1 组（对照组）、第 2 组（KOA 对照组）、第 3 组（BA：4mg/kg，口服）、第 4 组（BA：10mg/kg，口服）、第 5 组（BA：4mg/kg，关节内注射）和第 6 组（BA：10mg/kg，关节内注射）。第 1、7、14 和 21 天，每组大鼠接受 100μL BA 关节内注射，或每周 5 天每天 1 次口服 1mL（5 天/周），持续 4 周。测量血清白细胞介素 1β（IL-1β）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和基质金属蛋白酶-13（MMP-13）的活性。使用针对 IL-1β、TNF-α、MMP-13 和一氧化氮合酶-2（NOS-2）的特异性抗体对膝关节样本进行组织病理学和免疫组织化学分析。与第 1 组相比，第 2 组血清 IL-1β 和 TNF-α 水平以及 MMP-13 活性更高（P<0.05）。然而，与第 2 组相比，所有治疗组的 IL-1β 和 TNF-α 水平以及 MMP-13 活性均较低，第 4、5 和 6 组的降低具有统计学意义。组织病理学上，第 2 组显示关节间隙变窄、软骨退化和深裂。第 5 和 6 组显示关节间隙明显增大，关节软骨组织再生，免疫染色模式与第 1 组相似。免疫组织化学显示，第 2 组的 IL-1β、TNF-α、MMP-13 和 NOS-2 表达显著增加。然而，与第 2 组相比，所有治疗组的这些表达水平均降低，第 5 和 6 组的降低具有统计学意义（P<0.01）。BA 在减轻实验性 KOA 模型大鼠炎症方面具有潜在疗效。它可能是 KOA 的一种有前途的治疗药物，值得进一步的临床研究验证。
