Effects of 6alpha-methylprednisolone acetate on an equine osteochondral fragment exercise model.
Abstract: To determine effects of intra-articularly administered 6alpha-methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) in exercised horses with carpal osteochondral fragmentation. Methods: 18 horses: 3 groups of 6 each. Methods: An osteochondral (chip) fragment was created in 1 randomly chosen middle carpal joint of each horse. Polyionic fluid (PF) was injected into both middle carpal joints of horses in the control group. In horses of the MPA-control group, MPA was injected into the middle carpal joint without an osteochondral fragment; a similar volume of PF was injected into the contralateral middle carpal joint. In the MPA-treated group of horses, 100 mg of MPA was injected into the middle carpal joint containing the osteochondral fragment; a similar volume of PF was injected into the contralateral joint. Injections were administered on postsurgical days 14 and 28, and horses were exercised on a high-speed treadmill for 8 weeks, starting on postsurgical day 15. Results: Clinical improvement in degree of lameness was not associated with MPA administration. Joints that contained an osteochondral fragment and were treated with MPA had lower prostaglandin E2 concentration in synovial fluid, and lower scores for intimal hyperplasia and vascularity in synovial membrane, compared with PF-treated joints. However, articular cartilage erosion and morphologic lesions suggested possible deleterious effect of intra-articular MPA administration. Conclusions: Some beneficial effects of MPA administration on synovial fluid and synovial membrane were identified; however, the deleterious findings contrast with those associated with triamcinolone acetonide used in a similar model, but agree with other results of MPA administration in normal and abnormal joints.
Publication Date: 1998-12-19 PubMed ID: 9858417
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article investigates the effects of a corticosteroid medication, 6alpha-methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), when administered intra-articularly (injected inside the joint) in horses with exercise-induced cartilage damage. The study found some benefits, such as reduced inflammation and improved synovial membrane health, but also possible harm in terms of joint tissue damage.
Research Methodology
- This study involved 18 horses that were divided evenly into three groups.
- An osteochondral fragment was artificially induced in one randomly selected middle carpal joint of each horse. This fragment simulates a common type of athletic injury in horses, meant to mimic a real-world condition for the test.
- The first group served as the control group. All its horses had a solution known as a Polyionic fluid (PF) injected into both their middle carpal joints.
- In the second (MPA-control) group, MPA was injected into the joint without the fragment, and PF was injected into the other joint.
- In the third (MPA-treated) group, 100 mg of MPA was injected into the joint with the fragment, while the other joint received a PF injection.
- All injections were given on postsurgical days 14 and 28. The horses were then exercised on a high-speed treadmill for 8 weeks, starting from day 15 post-surgery.
Research Findings
- The findings showed no significant reduction in lameness attributable to MPA administration.
- Joints treated with MPA demonstrated lower prostaglandin E2 concentration in the synovial fluid, suggesting reduced inflammation. The scoring for vascularity and intimal hyperplasia in the synovial membrane was also lower, indicating improved health of the membrane.
- However, the observed articular cartilage erosion and morphological lesions in treated joints suggest potential harmful effects of injecting MPA into the joints.
Conclusions and Further Discussion
- While the administration of MPA showed some beneficial aspects on the synovial fluid and membrane, harmful effects such as potential joint tissue damage were noted.
- These findings have inconsistencies with those related to a similar corticosteroid medication, triamcinolone acetonide, used in a similar study model, as the latter didn’t result in such detrimental effects.
- Albeit, the results align with earlier studies of MPA’s effects on normal and abnormal joints.
Cite This Article
APA
Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, Baxter GM, Trotter GW, Powers BE, Lassen ED, McIlwraith CW.
(1998).
Effects of 6alpha-methylprednisolone acetate on an equine osteochondral fragment exercise model.
Am J Vet Res, 59(12), 1619-1628.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / administration & dosage
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
- Carpal Bones / injuries
- Cartilage, Articular / chemistry
- Cartilage, Articular / cytology
- Cartilage, Articular / pathology
- Glycosaminoglycans / analysis
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses / injuries
- Injections, Intra-Articular / veterinary
- Joints / injuries
- Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
- Methylprednisolone / administration & dosage
- Methylprednisolone / analogs & derivatives
- Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use
- Methylprednisolone Acetate
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Synovial Fluid / chemistry
- Synovial Membrane / cytology
- Synovial Membrane / pathology
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Panizzi L, Dittmer KE, Vignes M, Doucet JS, Gedye K, Waterland MR, Rogers CW, Sano H, McIlwraith CW, Riley CB. Plasma and Synovial Fluid Cell-Free DNA Concentrations Following Induction of Osteoarthritis in Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 14;13(6).
- Panizzi L, Vignes M, Dittmer KE, Waterland MR, Rogers CW, Sano H, McIlwraith CW, Pemberton S, Owen M, Riley CB. Infrared spectroscopy of serum fails to identify early biomarker changes in an equine model of traumatic osteoarthritis.. Osteoarthr Cartil Open 2022 Dec;4(4):100297.
- Menarim BC, El-Sheikh Ali H, Loux SC, Scoggin KE, Kalbfleisch TS, MacLeod JN, Dahlgren LA. Transcriptional and Histochemical Signatures of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell-Mediated Resolution of Synovitis.. Front Immunol 2021;12:734322.
- Hale J, Hughes K, Hall S, Labens R. Effects of Production Method and Repeated Freeze Thaw Cycles on Cytokine Concentrations and Microbial Contamination in Equine Autologous Conditioned Serum.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:759828.
- Mobasheri A, Trumble TN, Byron CR. Editorial: One Step at a Time: Advances in Osteoarthritis.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:727477.
- Sullivan SN, Altmann NN, Brokken MT, Durgam SS. In vitro Effects of Methylprednisolone Acetate on Equine Deep Digital Flexor Tendon-Derived Cells.. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:486.
- Donnell JR, Frisbie DD. Use of firocoxib for the treatment of equine osteoarthritis.. Vet Med (Auckl) 2014;5:159-168.
- Lacitignola L, Imperante A, Staffieri F, De Siena R, De Luca P, Muci A, Crovace A. Assessment of Intra- and Inter-observer Measurement Variability in a Radiographic Metacarpophalangeal Joint Osteophytosis Scoring System for the Horse.. Vet Sci 2020 Apr 6;7(2).
- Byron CR, Trahan RA. Comparison of the Effects of Interleukin-1 on Equine Articular Cartilage Explants and Cocultures of Osteochondral and Synovial Explants.. Front Vet Sci 2017;4:152.
- McIlwraith CW, Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE. The horse as a model of naturally occurring osteoarthritis.. Bone Joint Res 2012 Nov;1(11):297-309.
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