Celebrex May Protect Osteoarthritic Cartilage

The results of laboratory studies suggest that celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor sold in the US under the trade-name Celebrex, along with relieving the pain of osteoarthritis, may also have a positive effect on cartilage in the joints of patients with this condition, Belgian researchers report. This class of drugs–unlike most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen–may therefore actually improve osteoarthritis.

The results of laboratory studies suggest that celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor sold in the US under the trade-name Celebrex, along with relieving the pain of osteoarthritis, may also have a positive effect on cartilage in the joints of patients with this condition, Belgian researchers report. This class of drugs–unlike most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen–may therefore actually improve osteoarthritis. Senior investigator Dr. Daniel-Henri Manicourt told Reuters Health that the finding that celecoxib enhanced the rate of synthesis and reduced the loss of important cartilage components “might have important implications for the therapeutic approach to patients suffering from osteoarthritis.” Manicourt and colleagues at the Catholic University of Louvain note in the November issue of the Journal of Rheumatology that there is some evidence that certain moderately selective COX-2 inhibitors may inhibit the synthesis of cartilage proteoglycans. Proteoglycans, along with hyaluronan, are required to provide cartilage with its elasticity and stiffness on compression. These entities are depleted in osteoarthritis and other conditions. To assess the possible effects of celecoxib, the researchers exposed prepared osteoarthritic cartilage specimens to both diclofenac, a non-selective COX inhibitor, and to celecoxib. Diclofenac did not affect the metabolic balance of hyaluronan and proteoglycans. However, in a “relatively dose-dependent” manner celecoxib increased their synthesis. Celecoxib also reduced the loss of these components from cartilage tissue. Thus, “in contrast to several other nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs,” Manicourt said, “celecoxib might be beneficial to osteoarthritic joints by enhancing the cartilage content of both hyaluronan and proteoglycans.” (Source: Journal of Rheumatology, Reuters Health, Nov 2003.