The Therapeutic Potential of Intra-Articular Injection of Synthetic Deer Antler Peptides in a Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Synthetic deer antler peptides (TSKYR, TSK, and YR) stimulate the proliferation of human chondrocytes and osteoblasts and increase the chondrocyte content of collagen and glycosamino-glycan in vitro. This study investigated the peptide mixture's pain relief and chondroprotective effect in a rat model of collagenase-induced osteoarthritis. Thirty-six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: control (saline), positive control (hyaluronic acid), and ex-perimental (peptides). Intra-articular collagenase injections were administered on days 1 and 4 to induce osteoarthritis in the left knees of the rats. Two injections of saline, hyaluronic acid, or the peptides were injected into the same knees of each corresponding group at the beginning of week one and two, respectively. Joint swelling, arthritic pain, and histopathological changes were evaluated. Injection of the peptides significantly reduced arthritic pain compared to the control group, as evidenced by the closer-to-normal weight-bearing and paw withdrawal threshold test results. Histological analyses showed reduced cartilage matrix loss and improved total cartilage degeneration score in the experimental versus the control group. Our findings suggest that intra-articular injection of synthetic deer antler peptides is a promising treatment for osteoarthritis.

Effects of a Community Care Station Program With Structured Exercise Intervention on Physical Performance and Balance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective 2-Year Observational Study.

The Taiwanese government has developed community care stations (CCSs) for community-based older adult care. We investigated the effects of a structured exercise intervention, applied at CCS for 6 months, on physical performance and balance in community-dwelling older adults, including a 2-year reassessment. Fifty-eight participants (aged 76.9 ± 6.3 years) participated in the study. The Elderly Mobility Scale, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Timed Up and Go (TUG), gait speed, functional reach, one-leg-stance (OLS), and flexibility were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 2 years. Compared with baseline, the participants improved significantly in the SPPB (0.93 points), TUG (1.94 s), gait speed (0.13 m/s), and right and left OLS (2.56 and 3.12 s) at 6 months. Furthermore, these significant effects, except for OLS, were maintained at the 2-year reassessment according to repeated-measures ANOVA (p < .01). Our preliminary data suggest that adding a structured exercise program can benefit older adults participating in Taiwanese CCSs.