Retardation of articular cartilage degradation by glycosaminoglycan polysulfate, pentosan polysulfate, and DH-40J in the rat air pouch model.

Abstract

The rat subcutaneous air pouch model was adapted to examine the in vivo degradation of implanted rabbit articular cartilage, both with and without induced air pouch inflammation, over a 7-day period. The effects of 3 drugs, glycosaminoglycan polysulfate (Arteparon), pentosan polysulfate (SP-54), and zinc-chelated pentosan polysulfate (DH-40J), on inflammation-induced cartilage degradation were also examined. Implanted articular cartilage from noninflamed air pouches showed a reduction in total proteoglycan (PG) content (as hexuronic acid), but not in PG extractability or aggregation, compared with cartilage maintained in tissue culture. The injection of peptone into the air pouch as an infla..