[Preventive effect of tribenoside in spontaneous arthrosis of the mouse].

Tribenoside, a D-glucofuranose derivative, was administered prophylactically over a period of ten months to six-month-old mice of the C 57 Black strain (Animal Breeding Unit, Sisseln), which are known to have a predisposition to spontaneous gonarthrosis. The preparation was given once daily for five consecutive days every other week in doses of 100 or 300 mg/kg p.o. At the end of the treatment period, serial sections of both knee joints were examined. In the placebo-treated controls, arthrotic lesions of varying severity were found in 97% of the specimens. In the animals given tribenoside in either dosage arthrotic lesions were significantly less frequent and less severe. The number of animals with bilateral gonarthrosis and of those with proliferative changes was also significantly or highly significantly smaller in the groups treated with tribenoside than in the controls. The only indication of a dose-related effect of the preparation was the fact that arthrosis of the most severe grade was present in fewer animals in the group treated with the higher dose. At present, the mechanism of action responsible for the protective effect of tribenoside demonstrated once again in these experiments cannot be clearly defined.