Original Article · Open access
Comparison of the efficacy of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid and lactoferrin in mono-iodoacetateinduced temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis: A histomorphometric, immunohistochemistry, and micro-computed tomography analysis
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of highmolecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HMWHA) and lactoferrin (LF) injections on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) cartilage and subchondral bone in mono-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis model in rats.
Materials and methods: In this in vivo study, a total of 24 rats were divided into three groups as follows: saline group (Group 1), HMWHA group (Group 2), and LF group (Group 3) including eight rats in each group. The intra-articular injections were administered once a week for three weeks after osteoarthritis was induced. All animals were euthanized 28 days after induction of osteoarthritis, and TMJs were harvested for histomorphometric, immunohistochemical, and micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis.
Results: There was no significant difference between the HMWHA and LF groups in terms of the histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis results (p>0.05). According to the micro-CT analysis, the LF group had the highest mean bone volume fraction (74.9±0.5) and trabecular thickness (0.122±0.002), while the saline group had the lowest mean values (55.0±0.3 and 0.071±0.002, respectively) (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the HMWHA and LF groups according to the micro-CT analysis (p>0.05). Both groups had better healing effects than the saline group in all analyses.
Conclusion: Lactoferrin has a healing effect at least as much as HMWHA in MIA-induced TMJ osteoarthritis. We suggest that LF may be evaluated in future clinical studies as a promising agent in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Declarations
Ethics Committee Approval
The study protocol was approved by the Afyon Kocatepe University, Animal Research and Ethics Committee (date: 03.06.2020, no: AKUHADYEK-221-20). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Data Sharing Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Author Contributions
Provided input into the concept and design of the study: C.G.K., B.Y.; Provided the materials, analyzed the data, carried out literature review: C.G.K., B.Y., Ö.Ö., Ö.K., A.E.; Supervision of the study: C.G.K., Ö.Ö.; Collected and assembled the data: M.F.Ç., M.İ.; Wrote the article: C.G.K., B.Y., A.E.; All authors have critically revised the article, read and approved the final version at the time of submission.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
Financial Disclosure
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.Ethics Committee Approval
The study protocol was approved by the Afyon Kocatepe University, Animal Research and Ethics Committee (date: 03.06.2020, no: AKUHADYEK-221-20). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Data Sharing Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Author Contributions
Provided input into the concept and design of the study: C.G.K., B.Y.; Provided the materials, analyzed the data, carried out literature review: C.G.K., B.Y., Ö.Ö., Ö.K., A.E.; Supervision of the study: C.G.K., Ö.Ö.; Collected and assembled the data: M.F.Ç., M.İ.; Wrote the article: C.G.K., B.Y., A.E.; All authors have critically revised the article, read and approved the final version at the time of submission.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
Financial Disclosure
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.