PhDA new method has been established to study cartilage
breakdown in vivo. Cartilage was implanted into air
pouches on the backs of mice or rats and loss of
proteoglycan measured biochemically.
Using the air pouch it was possible to produce various
inflammatory environments either immune or non immune
and examine the effects of these upon proteoglycan loss.
It was found that the various type of inflammation failed
to accelerate proteoglycan loss from implanted cartilage.
Subsequently a variety of drugs used in the treatment of
the arthropathies were examined for their effect on both
inflammation and cartilage breakdown.
Using xiphisternum a difference could be shown between
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and d-penicillamine
in that, NSAID failed to protect the cartilage whereas
d-penicillamine prevented proteoglycan loss. This type of
cartilage was not examined further, as it was not characteristic
of articular cartilage - being surrounded by perichondrium.
Later articular cartilage was implanted once again into
different inflammatory situations and drug effects evaluated.
It was found using this cartilage that all the drug 0 used
protected from loss of proteoglycan and whereas some
inhibited inflammation (indoniethacin and dexamethasohe),
2a
levamisole had no effect in contrast, d-penicillamine
potentiated the inflammatory response. Finally the
mode of action of the drugs in this method is discussed
