RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE STRUCTURE OF THE FEMUR AND TIBIA AND THE CONTENT OF MACROELEMENTS IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS WITH DIABETIC KNEE ARTHROPATHY

Abstract

Introduction. Joint damage is common in patients with diabetes. The peculiarities of changes in the structure of the femoral and tibial bones and the content of macroelements in them in diabetic arthropathy of the knee joint have not been studied enough.

The aim of the study – to investigate the peculiarities of the relationship between the structure of the femur and tibia and the content of macroelements in them in experimental animals with diabetic arthropathy of the knee joint.

Research Methods. The structure and content of macroelements in the femur and tibia bones of 90 labo­ratory sexually mature white male rats, which were divided into 3 groups, were studied. Group 1 consisted of 30 intact animals, group 2 – 30 rats with one-month diabetic arthropathy of the knee joint, group 3 – 30 animals with the two-month-old specified pathology. Diabetes mellitus was modeled by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin from the company "Sigma" in a dose 50 mg/kg. Rats were euthanized by bloodletting under thiopental anesthesia. Linear measurements of the femur and tibia were carried out and the content of macroelements was determined in them. Quantitative indicators were processed statistically. 

Results and Discussion. It has been established that the processes of growth, chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, and mineralization of the femur and tibia are significantly impaired in case of diabetic arthropathy of the knee joint. With one-month diabetic damage to the knee joint, the content of calcium in the femur decreased by 7.2 %, phosphorus – by 11.7 %, magnesium – by 7.9 %, sodium – increased by 5.4 %. With two-month arthropathy, these indicators changed by 10.3 %, 16.0 %, 17.0 % and 9.1 % (p<0.001). A more pronounced dysbalance of trace elements was detected in two-month arthropathy of the knee joint in the tibia, which was confirmed by a decrease in the ratio of phosphorus and calcium content in it by 7.6 % (р<0.001). 

Conclusions. Experimental diabetic arthropathy of the knee joint is characterized by impaired growth, chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, an uneven, disproportionate decrease in the content of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and an increase in sodium in the femur and tibia. The most pronounced dysbalance between the content of the investigated macroelements was found in two-month diabetic arthropathy of the knee joint and in the tibia, which affects the disruption of the processes of chondrogenesis, mineralization and osteogenesis.