Authors: Nam Soon Cho Ji Hye Hwang Yong Taek Lee Seoung Wan Chae
Publish Date: 2011/07/29
Volume: 469, Issue: 11, Pages: 3172-
Abstract
Tendinopathy pain and tendon degeneration is associated with repetitive use and mechanical overload However the etiology of tendinopathy remains unclear Clarification of histologic and molecular changes of tendon to repetitive stress could provide better understanding of Achilles tendon disorders related to repetitive stressWe asked whether repetitive stress simulating overuse of the Achilles tendon induced 1 histologic changes in rats similar to tendinosis increased cellularity of fibrocytes increased disorganization of collagen fiber and increased roundness of the nucleus of the fibrocyte 2 increased collagen Type III occurrence and 3 increased inducible nitric oxide synthase iNOS expressionWe used an exercise protocol simulating repetitive jerky eccentric contraction of the triceps surae in 15 rats We conducted the exercise for 2 hours per day three times per week using the right rear legs only and the left legs as internal controls We harvested Achilles tendons after either 2 4 or 6 weeks of exercise and evaluated changes in tendon thickness fibrocyte count collagen fiber arrangement collagen fiber type and occurrence of iNOSExercised Achilles tendons showed increased cellularity of fibrocytes at 4 and 6 weeks of exercise and disorganized collagen fiber arrangement at 6 weeks of exercise There was a trend for Type III collagen occurrence being greater in experimental groups Expression of iNOS increased after 2 and 4 weeks of exercise when compared with that of the controls but decreased after 6 weeksThese observations suggest repetitive synchronized passive and jerky exercise induced by electrical stimulation can lead to the tendinosislike changes in the Achilles tendons in rats with imbalance between synthesis and degeneration after 4 weeks of exerciseThis newly designed exercise protocol may be used to design an animal model of Achilles tendon overuse With this model therapeutic interventions of tendinopathy could be analyzed by investigation of tendon biology and response in terms of histologic and molecular changes
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