Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction in Treatment of Osteoarthritis: Experimental Study

Abstract

Background Osteoarthritis OA is the commonest musculoskeletal disabling disease in adults. Most of the current available treatments provide only symptomatic relief. Adipose derivedstromal vascular fraction SVF has been recently introduced as potential regenerative therapy for OA. Objective We aimed to study the therapeutic role of adipose – derived SVF in OA. Materials and Methods This work included 42 female Wister rats for induction of osteoarthritis and 6 male Wistar rats acting as donors for the extraction of SVF from adipose tissue which yielded 106 cells/ml. Osteoarthritis was induced by intra-articular injection of collagenase type II in the right knee joint of all female rats and the left knee was considered as healthy controls. Rats were divided into three groups, healthy control Group (group I), induced osteoarthritis control group (Group II) which received no treatment and SVF treatment group (Group III). Group II and III were subdivided into 2 subgroups; IIa, IIb and IIIa, IIIb which were euthanized after 1 and 2 months of OA induction respectively. Modified Manikin score (MS) was used to assess cartilage degeneration. Image Analysis was used to assess chondrocyte count, articular cartilage thickness and optical density in slides stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin and Safranin-O-stain. Results It was observed that MS scored highest in Group II compared to Group III and Group I (P < 0.001). After 1 month, MS in Group IIa and Group IIIa was (10.75 ± 0.50 and 2.50 ± 0.53, P < 0.001). Similarly at 2 months MS was (8.50 ± 0.58, 0.50 ± 0.53, P < 0.001). Also, morphometric analysis revealed Group II contained least chondrocyte cellular count compared to Group III and Group I (P < 0.001). After 2 months, articular cartilage thickness was least in Group II compared to Group IIIb and highest in Group I (P < 0.001). Also, optical density OD measurement using imaging in slides stained with Safranin revealed OD was highest in Group I, followed by Group III and least in Group II (P < 0.001). Conclusion Adipose derived SVF represents potential regenerative therapy for OA. It decreased development of degenerative changes at early stages of induced osteoarthritis in rats and promoted regeneration with increased cartilage thickness and proteoglycan content at later stage.