Experimental arthritis induced by intraarticular injection of allogenic cartilaginous particles into rabbit knees

✍ Scribed by Dr. Christopher H. Evans; Raphael A. Mazzocchi; D. Dirk Nelson; Harry Edward Rubash

• Book ID: 102750241
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 718 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780270212

✦ Synopsis

Human synovial fluid often contains small cartilaginous "wear particles." Previous in vitro experiments have indicated the potential involvement of these particles in the pathophysiology of arthritis. To determine whether this potential is realized under the conditions existing within joints, standard suspensions of lapine articular cartilage were injected intraarticularly into the knee joints of rabbits. Thrice-weekly injections of 1 mg allogenic cartilage produced an inflammatory arthritis, accompanied by a marked cellular effusion, in all rabbits within 5 months. The synovium became hyperplastic, discolored, and infiltrated with mononuclear inflammatory cells. Embedded particles of the injected material were seen in histologic preparations of these synovia. Organ cultures of such synovia produced 4 to 5 times more collagenase, plasminogen activator, "Pz-peptidase," neutral and acid azocaseinase, and pglucuronidase than did cultures of synovia from control knees injected with saline. Furthermore, €he articular cartilage of knees injected with cartilaginous particles showed elevated intrinsic collagenolytic activity. Histologic examination of the articular cartilage revealed an attendant loss of metachromasy, resulting in friability,