| OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility and the mechanism of the total polysaccharide from Cuscuta for repair of articular cartilage defects in rabbits.METHODS: 72 healthy adult Japanese White rabbits were randomly divided into the total polysaccharide from Cuscuta(A group), the compounds of bone morphogenetic protein and gelatin(B group), the blank control group(C group).There were 24 rabbits including 48 knee joints in every group. Full thickness articular cartilage defects with 3mm in diameter by 3mm depth were created over the trochlear surface of the intercondyle femur, in depth until had punctate hemorrhage. After washing, A group with the total polysaccharide from Cuscuta and B group with the compounds of bone morphogenetic protein and gelatin were filled in the defects, C group was left only without any treatment. The rabbits of group A,B,C were sacrificed postoperatively respectively at the end of 2,4,8 weeks. The repair tissues in the defects were performed as macroscopically observation,HE staining,toluidine blue staining, histology score, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization essay with collagen typeⅡ.RESULTS: The therapeutic groups could promote the repair of the defects by ivory white translucent cartilage. The group A and group B got a better histological score than the blank control group (p<0.01) .There was no statistical significance (p>0.05) between the group A and group B .The newly cartilaginous tissue collagen was typeⅡ.The therapeutic groups on the expression of collagen typeⅡhad significant difference (p<0.01) compared with C group after 2,4,8 weeks postoperatively,but the medication groups had no difference (p>0.05) .CONCLUSION: The total polysaccharide from Cuscuta can promote the expression of collagen typeⅡmRNA in the repair of the defects. Transparent cartilage was main,nearly to normal articular cartilage after histology observation. TCM for repair of articular cartilage defects is feasible and economical. |
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