Background: To study the effectiveness of pomegranate juice (PJ) on osteoarthritis (OA), we used mono-iodoacetate (MIA), an inhibitor of glycolysis, in tibiofemoral joint of mice that promotes loss of articular cartilage similar to that noted OA. Pomegranate juice (PJ) is increasing in popularity because of its high antioxidant content, already known to help prevent heart disease. However, no histopathological studies have undertaken in vivo to investigate whether PJ protect articular cartilage.

Material and methods: We described the histopathology in the subchondral bone and cartilage of mice knee joint treated with a single intra-articular injection of MIA (0.1 mg) and sacrificed at 1, 14 and 28 days post injection. Then, the beneficial effect of oral PJ was studied in different groups group 1: administration of PJ (4ml/kg), group 2: administration of PJ (10ml/kg) and group 3: administration of PJ (20ml/kg). Histopathological changes in knee joints were studied after two weeks.

Results: Histologically, the early OA was characterized by areas of chondrocytes degeneration/ necrosis sometimes involving the entire thickness of the articular cartilage in the tibial plateaus and femoral condyles. Changes to the subchondral bone and proteoglycane contents, were observed and also, there was focal fragmentation and collapse of bony trabeculae with fibrosis and necrosis. Synovial cell proliferation was noted. Interestingly, administration of PJ in different group of mice prevented the negative effects of iodoacetate, in a dose dependent manner. Chondrocyte damages were significantly prevented and proteoglycane were less affected, especially in group receiving high amount of PJ and no cell proliferation and inflammatory cell were detected in synovium.

 Conclusion: Fast and progressive damage to articular cartilage is induced by single intra-articular injection of MIA, which mimic exactly human OA. In this study, the effectiveness of PJ in improvement of histopathological damages is emphasized and its chondroprotective effects in vivo are highlighted.