Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Synovial nerve fiber density decreases with naturally-occurring osteoarthritis in horses.
Abstract: To measure the nerve fiber density in synovial membranes from healthy and OA equine joints and to investigate the relationship between synovial innervation and OA severity, synovial vascularity and synovitis. Twenty-five equine metacarpophalangeal joints were collected post-mortem. The joints were dissected and the macroscopic lesions of the articular cartilage were scored. Synovial membrane specimens (n = 50) were harvested, fixed, sectioned and scored histologically. Immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence with S-100 protein, that identifies nerve fibers, and ⍺-actin, that stains vascular smooth muscle, were also performed on site-matched specimens and the relationships between these tissues was interrogated. The nerve fiber density was higher in the superficial layer (≤200 μm) of the synovium when compared to the deeper layer in control equine joints (mean difference (95% C.I.): 0.054% (0.018%, 0.11%)). In osteoarthritic joints, synovial innervation decreased in the superficial layer with increasing macroscopic OA score (β (SEM), 95% C.I.: -0.0061 (0.00021), -0.0011, -0.00017). The blood vessel density was also higher in the superficial layer of the synovium compared to the deep layer in the control (mean difference (95% C.I.): 1.1% (0.36%, 2.3%)) and OA (mean difference (95% C.I.): 0.60% (0.22%, 1.2%)) equine joints. Moreover, considering all synovial specimens, higher nerve fiber density in the deep layer positively correlated with blood vessel density (β (SEM), 95% C.I.: 0.11 (0.036), 0.035, 0.18). The reduction in nerve fiber density with advanced cartilage degeneration suggests that peripheral neuropathy is associated with equine OA. Whether this link is associated with neuropathic pain, requires further investigation.
Copyright © 2018 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2018-06-26 PubMed ID: 29958917DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2018.06.006Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research article details a study conducted on horses that explores the relationship between the density of nerve fibers in synovial membranes and the severity of naturally-occurring osteoarthritis (OA). It was found that nerve fiber density decreased with increasing OA severity, which may suggest that peripheral neuropathy is linked to equine OA.
Objective and Methodology
- The main objective of this study was to measure the density of nerve fibers in the synovial membranes from both healthy and osteoarthritic equine joints, and to explore the relationships among synovial innervation, the severity of OA, synovial vascularity and synovitis.
- The researchers collected twenty-five equine metacarpophalangeal joints post-mortem for this experiment. They dissected these joints and scored the macroscopic lesions of the articular cartilage.
- A total of 50 synovial membrane specimens were harvested, fixed and sectioned for histological scoring. They were also stained immunohistochemically and by immunofluorescence for the identification of nerve fibers and vascular smooth muscle.
Results
- The results indicated that the nerve fiber density was higher in the superficial layer of the synovium in control equine joints, compared to the deeper layer.
- However, in osteoarthritic joints, synovial innervation decreased in the superficial layer with an increasing macroscopic OA score. This indicates a correlation between OA severity and the reduction in nerve fiber density.
- The density of blood vessels was also found to be higher in the superficial layer of the synovium compared to the deep layer in both control and OA equine joints.
- Additionally, looking at all the synovial specimens, a higher nerve fiber density in the deep layer positively correlated with blood vessel density.
Conclusion and Further Studies
- Based on this study, the researchers concluded that the decrease in nerve fiber density with advanced cartilage degeneration suggests an association between peripheral neuropathy and equine OA.
- However, the study wasn’t able to conclude if the observed link is associated with neuropathic pain. The researchers suggest that this aspect requires further investigation.
Cite This Article
APA
Pujol R, Girard CA, Richard H, Hassanpour I, Binette MP, Beauchamp G, McDougall JJ, Laverty S.
(2018).
Synovial nerve fiber density decreases with naturally-occurring osteoarthritis in horses.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 26(10), 1379-1388.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2018.06.006 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada.
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada.
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada.
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada.
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada.
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 7C6, Canada. Electronic address: sheila.laverty@umontreal.ca.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Disease Progression
- Female
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Metacarpophalangeal Joint
- Nerve Fibers / pathology
- Osteoarthritis / pathology
- Osteoarthritis / veterinary
- Synovial Membrane / innervation
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Blum S, Gisler J, Dalla Costa E, Montavon S, Spadavecchia C. Investigating conditioned pain modulation in horses: can the lip-twitch be used as a conditioning stimulus?. Front Pain Res (Lausanne) 2024;5:1463688.
- Leduc L, Leclère M, Gauthier LG, Marcil O, Lavoie JP. Severe asthma in horses is associated with increased airway innervation. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):485-494.
- Zamith Cunha R, Zannoni A, Salamanca G, De Silva M, Rinnovati R, Gramenzi A, Forni M, Chiocchetti R. Expression of cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) and cannabinoid-related receptors (TRPV1, GPR55, and PPARα) in the synovial membrane of the horse metacarpophalangeal joint. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1045030.
- Taguchi T, Morales Yniguez FJ, Takawira C, Andrews FM, Lopez MJ. Agmatine Administration Effects on Equine Gastric Ulceration and Lameness. J Clin Med 2022 Dec 8;11(24).
- McDougall JJ. Osteoarthritis is a neurological disease - an hypothesis. Osteoarthr Cartil Open 2019 Nov-Dec;1(1-2):100005.
- McDougall JJ, Reid AR. Joint Damage and Neuropathic Pain in Rats Treated With Lysophosphatidic Acid. Front Immunol 2022;13:811402.
- Zhang L, Li M, Li X, Liao T, Ma Z, Zhang L, Xing R, Wang P, Mao J. Characteristics of sensory innervation in synovium of rats within different knee osteoarthritis models and the correlation between synovial fibrosis and hyperalgesia. J Adv Res 2022 Jan;35:141-151.
- Tucker L, Trumble TN, Groschen D, Dobbs E, Baldo CF, Wendt-Hornickle E, Guedes AGP. Targeting Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase and Cyclooxygenases Enhance Joint Pain Control, Stimulate Collagen Synthesis, and Protect Chondrocytes From Cytokine-Induced Apoptosis. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:685824.
- Story MR, Haussler KK, Nout-Lomas YS, Aboellail TA, Kawcak CE, Barrett MF, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW. Equine Cervical Pain and Dysfunction: Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 6;11(2).
- Chakrabarti S, Ai M, Henson FMD, Smith ESJ. Peripheral mechanisms of arthritic pain: A proposal to leverage large animals for in vitro studies. Neurobiol Pain 2020 Aug-Dec;8:100051.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
