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Effects of photobiomodulation associated with chitosan viscosupplementation for osteoarthritis: an in vitro and in vivo study

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to investigate the tissue performance of the association of photobiomodulation (PBM) and chitosan hydrogel (Ch), using in vitro and in vivo studies, in culture of chondrocytes and in an experimental model of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee of rats.

Methods

The chitosan hydrogel was characterized by pH, gelation time, and degradation rate. For the in vitro study, chondrocyte cells were seeded in the Ch irradiated or not with PBM to assess cell viability and proliferation after 1, 3, and 5 days. For the in vivo study, sixty Wistar rats with OA were randomly distributed: control group (CG), Ch hydrogel injection (Ch), Ch hydrogel injection associated with PBM (Ch/PBM).

Results

The characterization results revealed that Ch hydrogels can be controlled precisely by variation of the urea and urease concentrations. The in vitro findings demonstrated that Ch and Ch/PBM are biocompatible and noncytotoxic. The in vivo findings showed that PBM associated with Ch prevented articular degeneration by stimulating anabolic factor (TGF-β) and reducing catabolic factor (TNF-α) and increasing the gene related to components of the cartilage extracellular matrix.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the PBM associated with Ch can be used as a cartilage repair application.

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Funding

We thank the Brazilian funding agency FAPESP for the financial support of this research (FAPESP 2014/13702-6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology of Brasil University, Carolina Fonseca, 235, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Carla Roberta Tim, Livia Assis, Nivaldo Parizotto & Juliana Carolina Tarocco

  2. Department of Bioscience, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil

    Carla Roberta Tim, Livia Assis & Ana Claudia Muniz Rennó

  3. Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Cintia Cristina Santi Martignago, Ana Laura Andrade & Richard Liebano

  4. Department of Physiology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Lia Mara Neves

  5. Departments of Morphology and Pathology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Cynthia Castro & Karina Nogueira Zambone Pinto

  6. Departments of gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Márcia Cominetti

Authors
  1. Carla Roberta Tim
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  2. Cintia Cristina Santi Martignago
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  3. Livia Assis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carla Roberta Tim.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animal under number 2478130315 and conducted according to the international norms of ethics on animal experimentation (National Research Council, 1996).

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Tim, C.R., Martignago, C.C.S., Assis, L. et al. Effects of photobiomodulation associated with chitosan viscosupplementation for osteoarthritis: an in vitro and in vivo study. Res. Biomed. Eng. 37, 65–77 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42600-020-00102-7

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