Inhibition of estradiol-induced early osteoarthritic changes by tamoxifen

Abstract

Previous studies on osteoarthritic changes induced by intraarticular injections of estradiol benzoate (EB) suggest estrogen as a risk factor in the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA). The present study observed the anti-arthritic effects of tamoxifen (TMX). Oophorectomized rabbits were subjected to intraarticular injections of vehicle control, EB, TMX, or EB/TMX for 3 weeks. The cartilage changes were assessed by light and scanning electron microscopic examination, enzyme histochemical analysis, and the amount of alcian blue stain binding to glycosaminoglycans. EB injections resulted in cell necrosis, chondrocyte clonings, and pittings, whereas the vehicle control, TMX, and EB/TMX-injected groups showed no histologic abnormalities. Histochemical analysis showed that the numbers of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-reactive chondrocytes in the EB-injected group were significantly reduced when compared to other groups (p < 0.001). The injections of EB/TMX significantly reduced the chondrocyte numbers in the lateral superficial layer (p < 0.05), compared with the vehicle injection. TMX-injected group revealed slight although insignificant decreases in chondrocyte numbers. The amount of alcian blue stains, representing the relative amount of proteoglycans, significantly decreased only in the superficial layer of the EB- and EB/TMX-injected groups (p < 0.05). TMX, when concurrently injected with EB, antagonized the chondrodestructive effects of estradiol at the early stage of knee OA in rabbits. The results suggest the potential therapeutic use of TMX at the early stage of OA.