Application of glucosamine on human disease—Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease that affects various joints in elderly population. Wear of articular cartilage and syonovitis are characteristic feature of OA. Cartilage matrix is mainly composed of collagen and proteoglycan in which glucosamine is a major element. In OA, inflammatory mediators (prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nitric oxide (NO)) and proteases (matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), aggrecanase) are produced by chondrocytes and synoviocytes. These mediators cause inflammation, pain and degradation of cartilage. A large amount of in vitro studies showed that glucosamine suppressed these mediators in stimulated chondrocytes, synoviocytes or cartilage explants. Mechanism of suppressive effects of glucosamine is under the investigation. Glucosamine has been used to treat OA since 1960s and got popularity in North America and all over the world in the end of 20th century. A number of randomized controlled trials were conducted and analyzed scientifically. Glucosamine seems to have both symptom-modifying effects and structure-modifying effects. Though there is some heterogeneity during the trials, glucosamine remains to be a potential remedy for OA at present.