Osteoarthritis Pain Mechanisms in Animal Models
Summary
Animal models of osteoarthritis have been instrumental in unravelling the complex mechanisms by which joint degeneration leads to persistent pain. Intra-articular administration of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) or collagenase induces progressive cartilage loss, subchondral bone remodelling and synovial inflammation, mirroring structural features of human disease. Peripheral mechanisms encompass release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nerve growth factor and matrix-degrading enzymes, which sensitize nociceptors and drive tactile allodynia and hyperalgesia. Evidence of neuronal injury and regeneration in dorsal root ganglia highlights a neuropathic component that intensifies with higher toxin doses. Central sensitisation emerges through activation of spinal microglia and astrocytes, amplifying afferent signals and establishing maladaptive pain circuits. Converging studies also link joint pain to neuroinflammatory changes in brain regions governing affect, emphasising the multifactorial nature of osteoarthritic pain. These insights underpin preclinical screening of analgesics and inform targeted interventions to alleviate joint pain on a global scale.
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Osteoarthritis Pain Mechanisms in Animal Models publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in osteoarthritis pain mechanisms in animal models across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Monosodium iodoacetate (MIA): Chemical agent used to induce cartilage degeneration and mimic osteoarthritis in animal joints.
Allodynia: Pain elicited by a stimulus that does not normally provoke pain.
Central sensitisation: Enhanced responsiveness of central nociceptive neurons, leading to pain hypersensitivity.
Neuroinflammation: Activation of immune cells in the nervous system resulting in release of inflammatory mediators.
Glial cells: Non-neuronal cells (astrocytes and microglia) that support neurons and modulate inflammatory and pain processes.
Prokineticin system: Family of peptides and receptors involved in nociceptor sensitisation and inflammatory signalling.
References
- Intra-articular injection of collagenase in the knee of rats as an alternative model to study nociception associated with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Research & Therapy (2014).
- Characterisation of a Peripheral Neuropathic Component of the Rat Monoiodoacetate Model of Osteoarthritis. PLOS ONE (2012).
- The Contribution of Spinal Glial Cells to Chronic Pain Behaviour in the Monosodium Iodoacetate Model of Osteoarthritic Pain. Molecular Pain (2011).
- Dose-Dependent Expression of Neuronal Injury Markers during Experimental Osteoarthritis Induced by Monoiodoacetate in the Rat. Molecular Pain (2012).
- The Pharmacology of Pain Associated With the Monoiodoacetate Model of Osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2019).
- Prokineticin System Is a Pharmacological Target to Counteract Pain and Its Comorbid Mood Alterations in an Osteoarthritis Murine Model. Cells (2023).
- Induction of osteoarthritis by injecting monosodium iodoacetate into the patellofemoral joint of an experimental rat model. PLOS ONE (2018).
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