Objective:Toobservetheinfluenceofintra-articularinjectionofsodiumhyaluronate(HA)onthemRNAexpressionsofmatrixmetalloproteinase-1,-3(MMP-1,-3)andtissueinhibitorofmetalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1)incartilageandsynoviumoftraumaticosteoarthritis(OA).Methods:Sixteenwhiterabbitsunderwentunilateralanteriorcruciateligamenttransection(ACLT)werepidedinto2groupsrandomly5weeksaftertransection.Theexperimentalgrouprabbitsreceived0.3mlof1%HAbyintra-articularinjectiononceaweek.Animalsinthecontrolgroupweretreatedunderthesameconditionsusingphysiologicalsaline.Tenweeksfollowingsurgery,cartilageandsynoviumwereharvested.ThemRNAexpressionsofMMP-1,MMP-3andTIMP-1wereanalyzedusingreversetranscription-polymerasechainreaction(RT-PCR).Results:Insynovium,themRNAexpressionofMMP-3wassuppressedintheHAinjectiongroup.HAtreatmenthadnoeffectontheMMP-3expressionincartilage.NosignificantdifferenceofMMP-1andTIMP-1expressionsincartilageandsynoviumwasfoundbetweentheHAinjectiongroupandthecontrolgroup.Conclusions:OneofthemechanismsofthetherapeuticeffectofHAmaybetheinhibitionofexpressionofMMP-3insynoviumduringearlystageoftraumaticOA.
