Effects of Passive Exercise on Counteraction of Articular Cartilage Degeneration in Tail-suspended Rats
Luan Huiqin
Huang Yunfei
Fan Yubo
Sun Lianwen
Abstract：Objective To explore the effects of passive exercise on counteraction of articular cartilage degeneration in tail-suspended rats.Methods Twenty four female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups(n =8,each):control(Con),tail-suspension(TS),and tail-suspension plus passive motion (TSP).In TS and TSP groups,rat hindlimbs were unloaded for 21 days by tail suspension.During these 21 days,rats of TSP groups carried out the passive motion exercises with a training apparatus.Following,the cartilage thickness,volume and attenuation of the distal femur were evaluated with μCT.Histological analysis was used to assess the surface integrity of cartilage,cartilage thickness and chondrocytes.Results μCT showed that cartilage thickness of the distal femur decreased significantly in TS and TSP groups when compared with Con group.Cartilage volume in the TS group decreased significantly compared with Con and TSP groups.Histology images showed that the degree of matrix staining was decreased in TS and TSP groups.Additionally,the cartilage thickness measurement from μCT and histology images showed good correlation.Conclusion The results indicate that tail suspension can induce articular cartilage degeneration.This passive exercise is ineffective in preventing such degeneration in tail-suspended rats.
Keywords：simulated weightlessnesspassive exercisearticular cartilagecartilage degenerationμCT
Publication Date：2014-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)