Naproxen Treatment Inhibits Articular Cartilage Loss in a Rat Model of Osteoarthritis.

The effects of naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on articular cartilage degeneration in female Sprague Dawley rats was examined. OA was induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in each knee. Rats were treated with acetaminophen (60mg/kg), naproxen (8mg/kg), or 1% carboxymethylcellulose (placebo) by oral gavage twice daily for three weeks, beginning 2 weeks after surgery. OA severity was assessed by histological OARSI scoring and by measuring proximal tibia cartilage depth using contrast enhanced µCT (n=6 per group) in specimens collected at 2, 5, and 7 weeks after surgery as well as on pristine knees. Medial cartilage OARSI scores from the DMM knees of naproxen-treated rats were statistically lower (i.e., better) than the medial cartilage OARSI scores from the DMM knees of placebo-treated rats at 5-weeks (8.7 ± 3.6 vs. 13.2 ± 2.4, p=0.025) and 7-weeks (9.5 ± 1.2 vs. 12.5 ± 2.5, p=0.024) after surgery. At 5 weeks after DMM surgery, medial articular cartilage depth in the proximal tibia specimens was significantly greater in the naproxen (1.78 ± 0.26 mm, p=0.005) and acetaminophen (1.94 ± 0.12 mm, p<0.001) treated rats as compared to placebo-treated rats (1.34 ± 0.24 mm). However, at 7 weeks (two weeks after drug withdrawal), medial articular cartilage depth for acetaminophen-treated rats (1.36 ± 0.29 mm) was significantly reduced compared to specimens from the naproxen-treated rats (1.88 ± 0.14mm; p=0.004). The results indicate that naproxen treatment reduced articular cartilage degradation in the rat DMM model during and after naproxen treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.