Avaliação do tratamento de lesão condral focal no côndilo femoral medial em modelo experimental de tratamento com cartilagem fragmentada em ratos wistar

Abstract

Introduction: Articular cartilage pathologies are currently the leading cause of global disability, and numerous studies are being developed in an attempt to reduce their occurrence and symptoms. Animal models are fundamental in transitioning findings from in vitro to in vivo use. Objectives: Describe and validate an experimental animal model for the treatment of chondral lesions in Wistar rats. Methods: This experimental study involved 96 male Wistar rats, divided into four groups according to the treatment. All animals underwent bilateral chondral lesions in their knees, with one knee used as a control and the other treated with minced cartilage covered with fascia or collageninducing membrane and addition or not of Collagen Biocomposite Hydrogel. The animals were evaluated for clinical parameters (weight, gait, and range of motion), hematological and biochemical parameters, and urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans by agarose gel electrophoresis, as well as the degree of cartilage regeneration in histological sections performed after euthanasia. Results: There was no statistical difference in the gait of the animals regardless of the treatment performed (p=0.50). The range of motion in extension worsened in untreated knees (0.35±1.75 vs. 3.75±5.48; p<0.001), while in treated knees, there was an increase in the range of motion in extension during the post-surgery follow-up period (0.42±2.01 vs. 0.00±0.00; p<0.001). The weight variation of the rats over time differed between the treatment groups depending on the follow-up time. In the hematological and biochemical analysis, statistical differences were observed between the groups in leukocytes (F3,92 = 10.441; p < 0.001), lymphocytes (F3,92 = 5.039; p = 0.003), segmented cells (F3,92 = 2.882; p = 0.042), ALT (F3,92 = 4.130; p = 0.009), creatinine (F3,92 = 8.568; p < 0.001), albumin (F3,92 = 4.290; p = 0.007), and total proteins (F3,92 = 9.873; p < 0.001). The excretion of glycosaminoglycans was similar between the groups, with higher excretion one week after surgery. Histological analysis showed cartilage regeneration with better results using collagen-inducing membrane. Conclusion: The proposed animal model proved to be valid for analyzing the treatment of chondral lesions, being reproducible and low-cost, corroborated by histological, biochemical, and clinical analysis.