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The influence of strenuous exercise on collagen characteristics of articular cartilage in Thoroughbreds age 2 years.
Abstract: In order to assess the influence of strenuous exercise on collagen characteristics of articular cartilage, the response of the collagen network was studied in seven 2-year-old Thoroughbreds subjected to strenuous exercise compared to 7 nontrained individuals. After 13 weeks, the animals were subjected to euthanasia, fetlock joints of the forelimbs were scored macroscopically after Indian Ink staining, and articular cartilage from different locations of the articular surface of the proximal first phalanx was sampled and analysed for water content, collagen content, hydroxylysine content and amount of hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) crosslinks. Gross lesions were significantly more severe in the exercised than in the nonexercised group. In the control animals, the characteristic site-specific differences in collagen parameters were found as described earlier, but in the strenuously exercised animals this physiological biochemical heterogeneity had disappeared. In the exercised animals, an increase in water content and a sharp decrease in HP crosslinking was found that was correlated with the presence of wear lines. It is concluded that the strenuous exercise provoked significant alterations in the characteristics of the collagen network of the articular cartilage of the fetlock joint which were suggestive of microdamage and loosening of the collagen network. The collagen component of cartilage, in contrast to the proteoglycan component, is known to have a very limited capacity for repair and remodelling due to an extremely low turnover rate. Therefore, alterations within the articular collagen network might be expected to play an important role in the pathophysiology of degenerative joint disorders.
Publication Date: 2000-11-28 PubMed ID: 11093631DOI: 10.2746/042516400777584613Google 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
Summary
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The study investigated the impact of strenuous exercise on the characteristics of a specific protein, collagen, in the cartilage of 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses. It demonstrated that strenuous exercise can cause alterations in the collagen network, potentially leading to joint disorders.
Experiment Design and Groups
- The researchers designed a comparative study involving two groups of 2-year-old Thoroughbreds. One group was subjected to strenuous exercise while the other served as a control group (non-trained).
- The study lasted for 13 weeks, after which the animals were euthanized to allow for detailed examination of their joint cartilage.
Cartilage Analysis
- The researchers analyzed cartilage from different locations on the articular surface of the proximal first phalanx, which is a bone in the horse’s hoof.
- They assessed the water content, collagen content, hydroxylysine content, and the number of hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) crosslinks in the cartilage samples. HP crosslinks are specific types of chemical bonds in collagen networks.
- They also used Indian Ink staining to score visible damage to the joint cartilage.
Results
- The exercised horses had more significant and severe visible damage to their joints than the non-exercised horses.
- Strenuous exercise led to an increase in water content and a sharp decrease in HP crosslinking in the cartilage. This decrease was linked to the presence of wear lines, suggesting damage to the collagen network.
- In the control horses, the researchers found the usual variations in collagen parameters depending on the specific location within the joint, as had been observed in previous studies. However, this variation was absent in the exercised horses, indicating a loss of the normal heterogeneity of the collagen network.
Conclusions and Implications
- The researchers concluded that strenuous exercise can cause significant changes in the collagen network of the cartilage in Thoroughbred horses’ joints.
- These changes suggest damage and loosening of the collagen network, which could impair the cartilage’s function and lead to degenerative joint disorders.
- Because collagen has a low turnover rate, meaning it is not easily replaced or repaired, these exercise-induced changes might play a significant role in the development of joint disorders.
Cite This Article
APA
Brama PA, Tekoppele JM, Bank RA, Barneveld A, Firth EC, van Weeren PR.
(2000).
The influence of strenuous exercise on collagen characteristics of articular cartilage in Thoroughbreds age 2 years.
Equine Vet J, 32(6), 551-554.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516400777584613 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Amino Acids / analysis
- Animals
- Body Water / chemistry
- Cartilage, Articular / chemistry
- Collagen / analysis
- Female
- Horses / physiology
- Hydroxylysine / analysis
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Kaspiris A, Chronopoulos E, Vasiliadis E, Khaldi L, Melissaridou D, Iliopoulos ID, Savvidou OD. Sex, but not age and bone mass index positively impact on the development of osteochondral micro-defects and the accompanying cellular alterations during osteoarthritis progression. Chronic Dis Transl Med 2022 Mar;8(1):41-50.
- Martinez RE, Leatherwood JL, Arnold CE, Glass KG, Walter KW, Valigura HC, Norton SA, White-Springer SH. Responses to an intra-articular lipopolysaccharide challenge following dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product in young horses. J Anim Sci 2021 Oct 1;99(10).
- Bartolotti I, Roseti L, Petretta M, Grigolo B, Desando G. A Roadmap of In Vitro Models in Osteoarthritis: A Focus on Their Biological Relevance in Regenerative Medicine. J Clin Med 2021 Apr 28;10(9).
- Logan AA, Nielsen BD. Training Young Horses: The Science behind the Benefits. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 9;11(2).
- Hellings IR, Dolvik NI, Ekman S, Olstad K. Cartilage canals in the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia of fetuses and foals are surrounded by different types of collagen. J Anat 2017 Oct;231(4):615-625.
- Wolff KJ, Ramakrishnan PS, Brouillette MJ, Journot BJ, McKinley TO, Buckwalter JA, Martin JA. Mechanical stress and ATP synthesis are coupled by mitochondrial oxidants in articular cartilage. J Orthop Res 2013 Feb;31(2):191-6.
- van Turnhout MC, Schipper H, Engel B, Buist W, Kranenbarg S, van Leeuwen JL. Postnatal development of collagen structure in ovine articular cartilage. BMC Dev Biol 2010 Jun 7;10:62.
- Firth EC. The response of bone, articular cartilage and tendon to exercise in the horse. J Anat 2006 Apr;208(4):513-26.
- Boyde A, Firth EC. Articular calcified cartilage canals in the third metacarpal bone of 2-year-old thoroughbred racehorses. J Anat 2004 Dec;205(6):491-500.
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