Purpose

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widespread whole-joint disease affected by many factors and is a major challenge for human beings. Compared with other OA treatments, exercise therapy can effectively relieve joint pain and improve joint dysfunction, but it does not completely hinder the progress of OA. In addition, the mechanism of exercise therapy is not clear^[1]. Research shows that intervention in OA-related signaling pathways can prevent progression of OA^[2,3]. In this study, we combined exercise therapy with related signaling pathway interventions in order to achieve the goal of treating OA.

1. Roos EM et al. Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2016, 12(2): 92.

2. Chen L X et al. 2008, 16(2): 174-184.

3. Yazici Y et al. Osteoarthritis cartilage, 2017, 25(10): 1598-1606.

Methods and Materials

Rats underwent DMM surgery in their right and left knee and were assigned to either the sedentary group or walking group (n=6/group). Rats were treated with intra-articular signaling pathway activator or inhibitor or vehicle. Animals in the walking group were subjected to treadmill exercise 7 days after surgery, which included walking for 3 different intensity parameters for 4 and 12week(s). Subchondral bone and cartilage changeswere evaluated by gait analysis, micro-CT analysis, histological analysis, and biochemistry analysis.

Results

The results showed that the stride length step width and step speed of the rats in the sedentary group, low intensity running, high intensity running group injected with Wnt activator in the joint cavity were larger than those in the control group.

we found low intensity runing can supress the progress of osteoarthritis.

Conclusion

Exercise therapy plus Wnt signaling pathway activators are better for relieving OA in rats than in exercise and administration groups alone.