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Hyaluronic acid (HA) intraarticular injection is used in the management of osteoarthritis in veterinary medicine. However, HA oral administration is less common given the scarce currently available scientific evidence. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of oral HA administration on synovial fluid concentrations of several selected biomarkers in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury operated on using the tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) technique. Fifty-five dogs were included in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, clinical study, they were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo (group A, n = 25) or HA (group B, n = 30) orally for 10 weeks. Synovial fluid samples were obtained before surgery, and at 10 weeks postoperatively to measure concentrations of HA, haptoglobin, nitric oxide, and paraoxonase-1. After 10 weeks, group HA showed a significant increase in HA concentration (p = 0.0016) and a significant decrease in PON-1 concentration (p = 0.011) compared to baseline. In conclusion, post-op oral HA administration in canine patients with CCL injury leads to improvements in osteoarthritis biomarkers, namely higher synovial fluid HA concentrations and reduced synovial fluid paraoxonase-1 concentrations. These findings support the bioavailability of orally-administered HA and its usefulness in improving biomarkers of osteoarthritis.

Since 2006 the Dama gazelle has been considered a critically endangered species by the IUCN. At present, the captive population is distributed in several zoos around the world. Bioparc (Valencia, Spain) has a captive population of 9 individuals. A two-month-old male dama gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) living at the Bioparc facilities, developed an annular verrucous hyperpigmented fairly alopecic cutaneous plaque on the left lateral aspect of the thorax. Haematoxylin and eosin study revealed an exophytic papillary epidermal hyperplasia with mild orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis. In the subjacent dermis, a glandular well-differentiated epithelial tissue proliferation was observed. At the periphery, significant immature reserve cells were identified, and in some central areas of the proliferating glands, an amorphous eosinophilic material corresponding to cystic degeneration was observed. Resection margins were clear, and no signs of malignancy were observed. Diagnosis was consistent with sebaceous naevus. After a 12-month follow-up period, no relapse was noticed.

To assess the effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma on the repair of full-thickness articular cartilage lesions in immature rabbits. To that end, the samples were studied using macroscopic, microscopic and biomechanical techniques. Twenty-four 11-week-old New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups based on the treatment (physiological saline serum PCB, autologous platelet-rich plasma PRP). Cartilage lesions were drilled in medial femoral condyle of these rabbits. Other 12 rabbits were under the same conditions, but they did not suffer any lesion and treatment (control group CTR). The three groups were divided into two subgroups, depending on the age at the time of killing (16 and 19 weeks old). The CTR group showed the best possible value in the macroscopic and microscopic evaluation. Meanwhile, the PCB and PRP group values were lower than the CTR group values, at two times of the study, but similar to each other at 19 weeks. In the biomechanical study, at 16 weeks, the CTR and PCB groups behaved similarly, with values above PRP group values, while at 19 weeks, CTR group showed higher values than PCB and PRP groups, and there were no differences between these values. The evolution of the tissue treated with autologous PRP showed a positive tendency over time, while the PCB group was negative. Nevertheless, at 19 weeks of age, the PRP treatment did not show better results than the PCB, both showing the characteristics of fibrocartilaginous tissue. Likewise, none of the two treatments produced a repair tissue as the healthy cartilage.