Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic joint disorder characterized by pain and loss of joint function. Nerve growth factor (NGF) has emerged as a key mediator of pain in OA. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of intraarticular injection of anti-NGF neutralizing antibody on pain in an OA rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced with OA through monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) injection, followed by intraarticular administration of anti-NGF antibody or vehicle control. Pain behaviours were assessed using the von Frey filament test and the in capacitance test. Histological analysis of joint tissues was performed to evaluate cartilage degradation. Our results indicate that intraarticular injection of anti-NGF neutralizing antibody alleviated pain behaviours and attenuated cartilage degradation in OA rats. These findings suggest that targeting NGF could be a promising therapeutic strategy for managing pain in OA.