Abstract
This study aimed to examine the anti-inflammatory properties of boric acid (BA) in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in rats, evaluating its biochemical and histopathological therapeutic effects.A KOA rat model was induced by injecting monosodium iodoacetate into the knee joint. Random assignment was performed for the experimental groups as follows: group-1(control), group-2(KOA control), group-3 (BA:4mg/kg, orally), group-4(BA:10mg/kg, orally), group-5(BA:4mg/kg, intra-articularly), and group-6(BA:10mg/kg, intra-articularly). The rats received 100 µL of BA intra-articularly on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 or 1mL orally once a day (5days/week) for 4weeks. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and activityofmatrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) were measured. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on knee joint samples using specific antibodies for IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-13, and nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS-2).Group-2 exhibited higher serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels and MMP-13 activity than group-1 (P < 0.05). However, IL-1β and TNF-α levels and MMP-13 activity were lower in all treatment groups than in group-2, with statistically significant reductions observed in groups-4, 5, and 6. Histopathologically, group-2 displayed joint space narrowing, cartilage degeneration, and deep fissures. Groups-5 and 6 demonstrated significant joint space enlargement, articular cartilage tissue regeneration, and immunostaining patterns similar to those in group-1. Immunohistochemically, group-2 showed significant increases in IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-13, and NOS-2 expression. However, all treatment groups exhibited reductions in these expression levels compared to group-2, with statistically significant decreases observed in groups-5 and 6 (P < 0.01).BA shows potential efficacy in reducing inflammation in experimental KOA model in rats. It may be a promising therapeutic agent for KOA, warranting further clinical studies for validation.
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