| Objective: To investigate the effect of ultrasonic regulation of Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling pathway on cartilage injury in rats with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: The rat model of knee osteoarthritis was established by injecting sodium iodoacetate (50 μL) into the right knee joint cavity. The rats were randomly divided into model group, celecoxib group, phototherapy group and ultrasound group, and the same dose of normal saline was injected in the sham operation group. Each group included 10 subjects. Celecoxib group was given 20 mg/kg/d celecoxib by gavage, phototherapy group was given 20 min/time of light irradiation, ultrasound group was treated with ultrasonic therapy instrument for 10 min/time, sham operation group and model group were given normal saline by gavage, all of which were treated continuously for 20 days. The activity of the right knee joint was measured, the morphological changes of chondrocytes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and safranin green staining. The expression levels of serum matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The relative expression levels of Wnt family member 3a (Wnt3a), beta-catenin (β-catenin), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) in cartilage tissue were detected by Western blotting (WB). The expression levels of TNF-α and MMP-13 in cartilage tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Compared with the sham operation group, the range of motion of the right knee joint in the model group, the celecoxib group, the phototherapy group and the ultrasound group decreased, the levels of serum MMP-13, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, the expression levels of Wnt3a, β-catenin, Runx2, MMP-13 and TNF-α in cartilage tissue increased (P<0.05), and the expression level of GSK-3β protein in cartilage tissue decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the right knee joint activity of the celecoxib group, the phototherapy group and the ultrasound group increased (P<0.05), the levels of serum MMP-13, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, Wnt3a, β-catenin, Runx2, MMP-13 and TNF-α in cartilage tissue decreased (P<0.05), and the expression level of GSK-3β in cartilage tissue increased (P<0.05). Compared with the celecoxib group and the phototherapy group, the range of motion of the right knee joint of the ultrasound group increased (P<0.05), the levels of serum MMP-13, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, the levels of Wnt3a, β-catenin, Runx2, MMP-13 and TNF-α in cartilage tissue decreased (P<0.05), and the expression level of GSK-3β in cartilage tissue increased (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the above indicators between the celecoxib group and the phototherapy group. Conclusion: Ultrasound improves cartilage injury in rats with knee osteoarthritis by regulating Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling pathway. |
