Project Number: 5450-51000-039-07
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Jul 01, 2004
End Date: Apr 30, 2009

Objective:
To determine whether silicon as an arginine silicate inositol complex is useful in overcoming the lack of dietary silicon that may lead to pathological changes in bone or connective tissue including bone cartilage (e.g., osteoarthritis) and thus result in bone erosion or loss.

Approach:
Dark agouti rats that are especially susceptible to chronic and severe forms of autoimmune arthritis will be injected with type II collagen to induce arthritis after being fed silicon-deficient and silicon supplemented (as arginine silicate inositol complex) for 5 weeks. The development of arthritis will be evaluated by a macroscopic scoring system and joint swelling measurements. During arthritis development urinary bone breakdown and plasma inflammatory variables will be determined. Five weeks after injection of collagen II the animals will be killed for the determination of blood and bone variables associated with arthritis development and bone loss. Bones will be examined histologically to evaluate the effect of dietary silicon on cartilage erosion and bone resorption.