Study of the anti-inflammatory effect and oxidative stress modulation of the intra-articular medicinal ozone in horses affected by joint diseases

Abstract

Medical procedures with ozone therapy are secular. The ozone gas (O3) resource is very accessible and its cost is relatively low. Clinical results showed that human patients treated with ozone therapy as a complement to conventional medicine presented significant improvements in a short period of time. Ozone therapy consists of the application of medicinal ozone, a mixture of ozone and oxygen, which through reactive oxygen species and lipoperoxidation products exert various beneficial effects on the body, including anti-inflammatory effect. Recently, ozone therapy has also been recommended as supporting treatment for joint diseases in horses, however without studies proving this benefit. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect and modulation of the oxidative stress of intra-articular medicinal ozone in joints submitted to arthroscopy. The hypothesis is that the use of ozone reduces inflammation of the equine synovial joints, and minimizes surgical trauma, proving its anti-inflammatory and oxidative modulation.The study will include 32 joints of horses, 16 with osteoarthritis and 16 with osteochondritis dissecans. The joints will be randomly divided into two groups: treated group - joints will be washed with ozone gas at concentration of 20 ¼g/ml at the end of the surgical procedure, after 48 hours synovial fluid will be collected and 5 ml of ozone and 2 ml of acid hyaluronic acid applied; control group - joints will be washed with carbon dioxide at the end of the surgical procedure, after 48 hours synovial fluid will be collected and 2 ml of hyaluronic acid applied.Physical and ultrasonography examination, synovial fluid analysis, quantification of interleukin (IL) 1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, prostaglandin E2, substance P, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, oxidative stress evaluation by flow cytometry and histological analysis of the synovial membrane will be performed. (AU)