Oral glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate on synovial fluid biomarkers from osteoarthritic equine joints

Abstract

Several studies, mainly in vitro, have shown that chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (GlcN) do have chondro protective and anti-inflammatory actions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether oral CS/GlcN supplementation has effects on the CS, hyaluronic acid (HA) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations on synovial fluid of equine osteoarthritic joints. Horses with mild osteoarthritis (OA) in tibiotarsal joint received daily PO doses of CS and GlcN (2.8/3.1 g) for 25 days. Synovial fluid (SF) and urine samples were collected before treatment (day 0), and every 7 days, until day 55 (30 days after the end of treatment). Urinary CS increased upon oral treatment, indicating that this compound was systemically distributed. Concerning the SF, CS concentration increased after the end of the treatment and returning to baseline afterwards, while HA and PGE2 concentrations did not change. Despite the systemic distribution, oral supplementation of CS/GlcNfor 25 days was insufficient as an anti-inflammatory support. However, it is possible to infer that there was an anabolic effect upon cartilage matrix.