Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
www.pharmpress.com/fact
Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2006; 11: 13
Pyridinoline (Pyr) and desoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) collagen cross-links are known markers of bone and cartilage turnover. The aim of the study was to quantify urinary Pyr and Dpyr concentrations in a rabbit osteoarthritis model to assess the effect of Harpagophytum extract, FB9195, containing a promising chondroprotective principle (Phytomedicine 2006, in press).
After approval by the Veterinarian Ethics Committee of the University of Frankfurt and the governmental authority, Darmstadt, 23 adult female white New Zealand rabbits underwent unilateral transection of the anterior cruciate ligament and removal of the medial meniscus of the right knee. Food was offered ad libitum. Gp H (n = 11) received an average of 14.6 mg of harpagoside, daily in the food pellets. Gp C (n = 12) served as control. Twenty-four hour urine samples were collected after 2, 4 and 6 months (mos) for Pyr and Dpyr analyses by HPLC (Pyr/Dpyr, sensitivities 100/25 pmol/ml; recoveries 96.6/97.7, precision 6.5/7.4, coefficients of variation: intra-assay 2.6/3.2, inter-assay 4.4/4.8, percentage). Results expressed in nmol/mmol creatinine.
Kruskal–Wallis test showed the values to be normally distributed. ANOVAO with Bonferroni correction showed that the changes over time were highly significant in both groups (P < 0.001 Gp H, P < 0.01 Gp C). Differences between groups were significantly lower in Gp H at 6 months (P = 0.021).
These findings suggest that the Pyr/Dpyr ratio may be a useful diagnostic indicator for intra-articular changes during treatment with chondroprotective medications.
