Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the tissue performance of the association of photobiomodulation (PBM) and chitosan hydrogel (Ch), using in vitro and in vivo studies, in culture of chondrocytes and in an experimental model of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee of rats. The chitosan hydrogel was characterized by pH, gelation time, and degradation rate. For the in vitro study, chondrocyte cells were seeded in the Ch irradiated or not with PBM to assess cell viability and proliferation after 1, 3, and 5 days. For the in vivo study, sixty Wistar rats with OA were randomly distributed: control group (CG), Ch hydrogel injection (Ch), Ch hydrogel injection associated with PBM (Ch/PBM). The characterization results revealed that Ch hydrogels can be controlled precisely by variation of the urea and urease concentrations. The in vitro findings demonstrated that Ch and Ch/PBM are biocompatible and noncytotoxic. The in vivo findings showed that PBM associated with Ch prevented articular degeneration by stimulating anabolic factor (TGF-β) and reducing catabolic factor (TNF-α) and increasing the gene related to components of the cartilage extracellular matrix. In conclusion, the PBM associated with Ch can be used as a cartilage repair application.
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