M. Arican

Measurement of glycosaminoglycans and keratan sulphate in canine arthropathies

Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and keratan sulphate (KS) were measured in sera and synovial fluids from dogs with either osteoarthritis (OA) or rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) and normal dogs. The dogs with OA had higher synovial fluid GAG levels (P < 0.002) and serum KS (P < 0.03) compared to the normal dogs. No significant differences in serum GAG were found in either group. In both OA and rupture of the CCL, GAG levels were increased in the synovial fluid from the affected joint compared with the clinically normal (inactive) contralateral joint. Neither GAG nor KS measurements correlated with serum and synovial fluid antibodies to collagen type II, synovial fluid white cell count or age of dog. It is unlikely that the measurement of these cartilage breakdown products is of value for diagnostic or prognostic use in canine arthropathies.

Hyaluronan in Canine Arthropathies

Soluble hyaluronan (HA), which has been considered as a marker for joint disease in man, was measured in serum and synovial fluid (SF) from dogs with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) and from normal dogs (control). Dogs with OA and RA had significantly increased serum HA (P < 0.001) and decreased synovial fluid HA (P < 0.001), as did dogs with CCL rupture (serum, P < 0.05; synovial fluid, P < 0.005). In OA, HA was lower in the SF from the affected joint than in that from the clinically normal (inactive) contralateral joint; no such difference was seen in dogs with CCL rupture. Dogs with liver disease (portocaval shunts, viral infectious hepatitis, metastatic neoplasm and disease secondary to diabetes mellitus) had increased serum HA concentrations (P < 0.001). There was a significant overlap of HA values in the diseased and normal dogs. Therefore, it is unlikely that the measurement of this cartilage breakdown product would be of value for diagnosis or prognosis in canine arthropathies.

Osteocalcin in canine joint diseases

Markers of joint disease are much sought after in human and veterinary rheumatology. This study investigated the relationship between markers of bone and cartilage turnover in sera and synovial fluids in naturally occurring canine joint diseases. Osteocalcin (OC) was measured by radioimmunoassay; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure keratan sulphate, chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronan and antibodies to collagen I and II. Dimethylmethylene blue binding assay was used for the estimation of sulphated glycosaminoglycans. Compared to normal dogs significantly higher serum OC was seen in dogs with osteoarthritis (P < 0.005), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (P < 0.01) and rupture/stretching of cranial cruciate ligament (P < 0.02). Reduced OC was found in RA synovial fluids but this finding is probably of little value as there was too much overlap with normal joint data. Apart from a weak correlation between synovial fluid OC and keratan sulphate, there were generally no correlations between markers of bone and cartilage turnover probably reflecting the lack of any relationship between bone and cartilage metabolism in most canine arthropathies.

Effect of Acticoat® and Cutinova Hydro® on wound healing

In this study, the effects of the wound‐covering materials, Acticoat® and Cutinova Hydro®, on wound healing have been studied in rabbit models with open and tissue‐lost wounds with full‐thickness flank excisions. Rabbits were used as subjects with three groups of four rabbits each, and trial periods of 7, 14 and 21{\uns}days. Four circular wounds, of 1.5 cm diameter were made two on the right (one of them control) and two on the left (one of them control) of the dorsal sides of the abdomen. Acticoat® and Cutinova Hydro® were applied on the wounds with suture for a period of 21 days and one each placed on the right and left sides as control with gauze. Biopsy specimens were taken from the animals at the end of the research period to check the length of the epithelium, epithelial thickness, size of wounds, wound granulation tissue formation and histopathological evaluation for clarity. The Acticoat® group showed better healing and scar formation compared to the Cutinova Hydro® group by macroscopic examination. Epithelial wound length and clarity in terms of statistical difference occurred on day 21 (P <0.05); while the length of the wound epithelium decreased patency, epithelial thickness on days~7, 14 and 21, showed no statistical differences (P >0.05). As a result, the Acticoat® wound dressing was determined as a more reliable for the early wound healing. This study has shown the short‐term clinical benefits of hydroactive, polyurethane dressings in the management of acute wounds. However, longer periods of wound healing procedure should be planned for reliable and safe results of wound dressing. It has also been concluded that microbiological analyses should be included for more robust and reliable comparisons.

Osteogenic ability of free perichondreal autografts in canine tibial defects: An experimental study

Summary This study set out to establish the effect of transplanting perichondreum on bone healing at sites of tibial bone defects in an experimental dog model. Transplantation of free, autologous, non-vascularised, perichondreal grafts to the distal of right anteromedial plane side of the tibia was compared with non-transplantation on the proximal side of the same bone. In experimental dogs (n = 7), a 5 cm piece segment of perichondreum, that has been excised from the thirteenth rib of the same animal, was transplanted to the middle defect fracture site of bone, but not to the control proximal defect fracture site. The dogs were allowed to recover from the operation and were kept 21 days in cages, with free-range. On days 30 (Group I) and 45 (Group II) after operations, the dogs were euthanatized. Histopathologically, defects in 30 days treated perichondreum group were filled by new ossified tissue while control defects in the same period were not fully resurfaced. The new ossified tissue consisted of a thin and inadequate trabeculae. In 45 days treated groups, defects with transplanting perichondreum were filled by thick trabeculae converting into a compact bone tissue. The control defects of this group, however, were filled by an extreme callus overflowing to medulla and bone surface. This study has provided evidence to show that autologous, non-vascularized perichondreum retains an osteogenic ability when transplanted to tibial bone defect sites. It appears that callus formation occurred within the perichondreum grafting which resembles that of enchondral and intramembranous ossification.