To evaluate the effects of intraarticular injection of bevacizumab, sodium hyaluronate (SH) and 0.9% sodium chloride injection in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in a rabbit model.
Twenty-four male rabbits were randomly divided into bevacizumab group,SH group and control group after the model of OA had been made. The bevacizumab group and control group received intraarticular bevacizumab (4 mg) and 0.9% saline injection respectively once per three weeks for 2 times. The SH group received intraarticular SH once a week for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, the histological examinations of cartilage and synovium,electron microscopy and expression of vasculan endothelial growth factorl (VEGF), for the synovium, expression of MMP-1, Mankin's scale, macroscopic observation for cartilage were performed.
The histological observation of the bevacizumab group and the SH group showed that bevacizumab could decrease the synoviocytes and inhibit fibrous hyperplasia in synovial underlayer compard with the control group. Reduced apoptosis of chondrocytes and more integrated structure of matrix and more glycosaminoglycan were also found in the bevacizumab group and the SH group compared with control group. The expression of VEGF and MMP-1, Mankin's scale, macroscopic observation were significantly decreased in the bevacizumab group compared with the SH group and the control group (P<0.05).
Intraarticular injection of bevacizumab and SH can relieve inflammation of OA and alleviate the pathologic process of OA. The Bevacizumab was better than the SH in therapeutic effect, which maybe implicate a better choice for the treatment of OA.