Influence of strength exercise in osteoarthritis: histological evaluation by OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International)

• Grant number: 11/21121-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Stela Márcia Mattiello
• Grantee: Mariana Carvalho de Souza
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of strength exercise in osteoarthritis of rats knee by OARSI histological evaluation. Thirty-six rats will be divided into six groups: Control (C), Osteoarthritis (OA), Sham (S), Exercise (E), Osteoarthritis and Exercise (OAE), and Sham Exercise (SE). The OA groups, OAE, S and SE will perform surgery to transect the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee for the induction of osteoarthritis, and only the groups OA and OAE have severed the ACL. After 2 weeks of surgery, groups E, OAE and SE will begin the protocol of strength exercise, three times a week for 8 weeks. After the last session, the left knee joints of all animals will be collected and processed in paraffin for the preparation of histological slides, which are stained with hematoxylin for histological evaluation of articular cartilage, according to the International Society of Research in Osteoarthritis. The blades will be evaluated at light microscopy by 2 blinded observers. To evaluate the correlation between the results obtained by two observers will be used to Spearman test. There will be a comparison between the animals' body weight before and after the experiment by Student's t test and to compare the histological evaluation of articular cartilage of different groups will use the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis with post hoc Newman Keuls (p = 0,05). (AU)