Spontaneous and experimental osteoarthritis in dog: similarities and differences in proteoglycan levels

The unilateral canine model is the most commonly used model of experimental osteoarthritis (OA). In this model, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of one knee is transected and the contralateral joint is usually used as a control. However, dogs, similar to humans, can develop OA spontaneously with old age. Additionally, certain breeds of dogs are genetically predisposed to OA and can develop symptoms at a young age. The goal of this study was to compare the pathological changes of proteoglycans in OA cartilage from dogs that developed OA spontaneously to those that underwent ACL transection. For this reason, biglycan, decorin and fibromodulin levels and degradation patterns were compared by Western blot hybridization, and aggrecan contents were quantified by dimethylmethylene blue assay. The changes in proteoglycan levels in the cartilage of dogs with spontaneous OA, regardless of their age, were very similar to those published for human OA cartilage. However, when OA developed as a result of ACL-surgery, the changes in proteoglycans were different from those of slowly developing spontaneous OA. Therefore, these differences should be taken into consideration when the ACL-transection model is used.