Effects of exercise on knee osteoarthritis induced by transection of the anterior cruciate ligament in rats

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of functional limitation and its prevalence has increased in recent decades. Thus, the development of therapeutic strategies aimed mitigate the damage and prevent its evolution becomes important for rehabilitation. The realization of the therapeutic exercise of moderate intensity in the clinical treatment of OA is now well known, yet the signaling pathways activated by these resources remain uncertain. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of moderate aerobic exercise on the articular cartilage of the knee of rats submitted to an experimental model of osteoarthritis induced by section of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACLT). Will be used 30 Wistar male rats, separated into 3 groups (n = 10): control (C); osteoarthritic (O); osteoarthritic and exercise (OE). Aerobic exercise will be held 2 weeks after surgery on a treadmill (speed of 16 m / min, 50 me, 3 times per week) for 8 weeks. To evaluate and compare the effects of training will be conducted morphological and morphometric cartilage (cellularity, thickness, density and chondrocyte proteoglycan content) and protein expression of IL-1 ². It is hoped that the results of this project will bring significant contribution in elucidating the mechanisms of action triggered by moderate aerobic exercise, thus optimizing the use of the same in the rehabilitation of degenerative disorders. (AU)