OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos do procedimento de ooforectomia e da hiperprolactinemia no disco epifisário da tíbia de camundongos fêmeas.MÉTODOS: Neste estudo, o disco epifisário de camundongos fêmeas ovariectomizadas (OVX) e/ou com hiperprolactinemia induzida por tratamento com 200 μg de metoclopramida por 50 dias (M) foi avaliado morfologicamente, morfometricamente e imunohistoquimicamente. Quarenta camundongos fêmeas e adultas foram divididas em quatro grupos, segundo o tratamento: Grupo V - animais tratados com solução salina; Grupo H - animais hiperprolactinêmicos; Grupo Ovx/V - animais ooforectomizados e tratados com o solução salina; Grupo Ovx/H - animais ooforectomizados e hiperprolactinêmicos. Após o período de tratamento, os animais foram sacrificados, as tíbias removidas e fixadas em formalina tamponada a 10% e descalcificadas em ácido fórmico a 10%. O material foi emblocado em parafina e submetido a processamento histológico em parafina. Os cortes foram corados pelo tricrômico de Masson e foi feita a imunohistoquímica para a proteína pró-apoptótica BCL-2. As imagens para o estudo morfológico e morfométrico foram analisadas com o programa de imagem AxioVision 4.8 (Carl-Zeiss(r), Alemanha).RESULTADOS: A combinação da hiperprolactinemia e do procedimento de ovariectomia levou à redução do número de condrócitos de repouso em 1,5 vezes; o número de condrócitos proliferativos em 1,8; a percentagem de cartilagem de repouso em 2,4, e a percentagem de osso trabecular em 2,1 vezes, em comparação com os respectivos animais controles.CONCLUSÃO: O procedimento de ooforectomia combinado com a condição de hiperprolactinemia induzida pela metoclopramida em camundongos fêmeas evidenciou degeneração óssea acentuada, devido à diminuição significativa da proliferação celular no disco epifisário e da formação óssea.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of ovariectomy and the hyperprolactinemia procedure in the tibial epiphyseal growth plate of female mice.METHODS: In this study, the epiphyseal growth plate of ovariectomized (OVX) and/or rendered hyperprolactinemic female mice by 50 days of treatment with 200 μg metoclopramide (M) was evaluated morphologically, morphometrically and immuno-histochemically. Forty female and adult mice were divided into four groups according to treatment: V group - animals treated with saline solution; H group - hyperprolactinemic animals; Ovx/V group - ovariectomized animals and treated with saline solution; Ovx/H group - hyperprolactinemic and ovariectomized animals. After the treatment period, the animals were sacrificed, tibia was removed and fixed in 10% buffered formalin and decalcified in 10% formic acid. The material was immersed in paraffin and subjected to histological processing in paraffin. The sections were stained with Masson's trichrome and immunohistochemistry was carried out for the pro-apoptotic protein BCL-2. The images for the morphological and morphometric study were analyzed with the imaging program AxioVision 4.8 (Carl-Zeiss(r), Germany).RESULTS: The combination of hyperprolactinemia and the ovariectomy procedure decreased the number of resting chondrocytes 1.5-fold, the number of proliferative chondrocytes 1.8-fold; the percentage of resting cartilage 2.4-fold and the percentage of trabecular bone 2.1-fold, compared with respective control animals.CONCLUSION: The procedure of ovariectomy combined with the metoclopramide-induced hyperprolactinemia in female mice has showed marked bone degeneration due to significant decrease of cell proliferation in the epiphyseal growth plate and bone formation.

OBJECTIVE: The growth plate consists of organized hyaline cartilage and serves as a scaffold for endochondral ossification, a process that mediates longitudinal bone growth. Based on evidence showing that the oral administration of glucosamine sulfate (GS) and/or chondroitin sulfate (CS) is clinically valuable for the treatment of compromised articular cartilage, the current study evaluated the effects of these molecules on the tibial epiphyseal growth plate in female rats. METHOD: The animals were divided into two control groups, including vehicle treatment for 45 days (GC45) and 60 days (GC60) and six ovariectomized (OVX) groups, including vehicle treatment for 45 days (GV45), GS for 45 days (GE45GS), GS+CS for 45 days (GE45GS+CS), vehicle for 60 days (GV60), GS for 60 days (GE60GS) and GS+CS for 60 days (GE60GS+CS). At the end of treatment, the tibias were dissected, decalcified and processed for paraffin embedding. Morphological and morphometric methods were employed for analyzing the distal tibial growth plates using picrosirius red staining and the samples were processed for histochemical hyaluronan detection. Morphometric analyses were performed using the 6.0ProPlus¯ Image system. RESULTS: Notably, after 60 days of treatment, the number of proliferative chondrocytes increased two-fold, the percentage of remaining cartilage increased four-fold and the percentage of trabecular bone increased three-fold in comparison to the control animals. CONCLUSION: GS and CS treatment drugs led to marked cellular proliferation of the growth plate and bone formation, showing that drug targeting of the tibial epiphyseal growth plate promoted longitudinal bone growth.

No Brasil, o crescimento dos casos registrados de doenças degenerativas das cartilagens articulares por ano é de 20%, o que representa, anualmente, que mais de 200 mil brasileiros desenvolvem doenças degenerativas das articulações e, com repercussões negativas sobre a massa óssea. Este trabalho mostra evidências que a produção hormonal de esteroides sexuais (estrogênios, progestagênios e androgênios) têm influência na qualidade da cartilagem, bem como na massa óssea. Portanto, o objetivo dessa revisão foi o de analisar os dados da literatura sobre a ação molecular e gênica dos esteroides sexuais na fisiologia da cartilagem hialina e do osso, bem como a interferência da osteoartrite na qualidade dessas estruturas.

In Brazil, the increase in the reported cases of degenerative diseases of articular cartilage is 20% per year, meaning that 200,000 Brazilians develop degenerative joint diseases every year, which have a negative impact on bone mass. This study shows evidence that hormone production of sexual steroids (estrogens, progestogens, and androgens) have an influence on cartilage quality, as well as on bone mass. Therefore, this review aimed to analyze literature data on the molecular and genic action of sexual steroids on hyaline cartilage and bone physiology, as well as osteoarthritis interference on the quality of these structures.