Intra-articular injection of xanthan gum reduces pain and cartilage damage in a rat osteoarthritis model

The objective of this study was to evaluate the alleviative effect of intra-articular (IA) injection of xanthan gum (XG) on pain and cartilage degradation in a model of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee osteoarthritis (OA). The rheological study and hyaluronidase (HAse) degradation analysis of XG injection were presented. The effect of pain relief was determined by measurements of paw withdrawal threshold and weight bearing by hind limbs. The protective effect on the cartilage was evaluated by gross morphological observation and histological evaluation of knee joints. The effect was investigated in two protocols: a therapeutic treatment protocol, and a prophylactic treatment protocol. Our results showed that HAse had no effect on the rheological properties of XG injection. Local XG administration in both protocols could reduce OA pain and alleviate the joint cartilage degradation induced by MIA. IA injection of XG might be an effective method for OA treatment in human.