Effect of PCSO-524 on OA Biomarkers and Weight-Bearing Properties in Canine Shoulder and Coxofemeral Osteoarthritis

Abstract

This study was designed to compare the therapeutic benefits of a compound of omega-3 fatty acids from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) (PCSO-524) and omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil on clinical outcomes and osteoarthritis biomarkers (chondroitin sulfate WF6 epitope) in 66 dogs that had osteoarthritis (OA); 39 dogs with OA hip joints, 15 dogs with OA shoulder joints and 12 dogs with OA shoulder and hip joints. The animals were presented at the Small Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University. The dogs were allocated into two groups randomly. One group received PCSO-524 (n = 33) and the other group received fish oil (n = 33), administered orally for 24 weeks. Serum OA biomarkers (WF6), lameness scores, weight-bearing scores, range of motion (ROM) and peak vertical force gait analysis were evaluated before treatment and two, four, eight, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks after the treatment began. The mean of serum WF6 of the PCSO-524 group (262.46±118.06 ng/ml) was significantly (p < 0.05) less than that of the fish oil group (324.76±133.65 ng/ml) after 24 weeks of administration. The lameness scores, weight-bearing scores, peak vertical force gait analysis results and ROM improved significantly within two weeks after the administration of PCSO-524 began, while there was no statistically significant improvement in any of the parameters of the fish oil group after 12 weeks. After week four, the lameness and weight-bearing scores and gait analysis results of the PCSO-524 group improved significantly by comparison with the fish oil group. In conclusion, the PCSO-524 administration led to good clinical outcomes and laboratory results of osteoarthritis of the shoulder and hip joints in dogs.

Full text

Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165.
Effect of PCSO-524 on OA Biomarkers and Weight-Bearing
Properties in Canine Shoulder and Coxofemeral Osteoarthritis
Kumpanart Soontornvipart1* Natwadee Mongkhon1 Korakot Nganvongpanit2
Prachya Kongtawelert3
Abstract
This study was designed to compare the therapeutic benefits of a compound of omega-3 fatty acids from the
New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) (PCSO-524) and omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil on clinical
outcomes and osteoarthritis biomarkers (chondroitin sulfate WF6 epitope) in 66 dogs that had osteoarthritis (OA); 39
dogs with OA hip joints, 15 dogs with OA shoulder joints and 12 dogs with OA shoulder and hip joints. The animals
were presented at the Small Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University. The dogs were
allocated into two groups randomly. One group received PCSO-524 (n = 33) and the other group received fish oil (n =
33), administered orally for 24 weeks. Serum OA biomarkers (WF6), lameness scores, weight-bearing scores, range of
motion (ROM) and peak vertical force gait analysis were evaluated before treatment and two, four, eight, 12, 16, 20 and
24 weeks after the treatment began. The mean of serum WF6 of the PCSO-524 group (262.46±118.06 ng/ml) was
significantly (p<0.05) less than that of the fish oil group (324.76±133.65 ng/ml) after 24 weeks of administration. The
lameness scores, weight-bearing scores, peak vertical force gait analysis results and ROM improved significantly within
two weeks after the administration of PCSO-524 began, while there was no statistically significant improvement in any
of the parameters of the fish oil group after 12 weeks. After week four, the lameness and weight-bearing scores and gait
analysis results of the PCSO-524 group improved significantly by comparison with the fish oil group. In conclusion,
the PCSO-524 administration led to good clinical outcomes and laboratory results of osteoarthritis of the shoulder and
hip joints in dogs.
Keywords: canine, fish oil, green-lipped mussel, osteoarthritis, PCSO-524, WF6
1Department of Veterinary Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
2Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100,
Thailand
3Thailand Excellence Center for Tissue Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University,
Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
*Correspondence: skumpana@gmail.com
Original Article

158 Soontornvipart K. et al. / Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165.
Introduction
The understanding of the pathogenesis of
osteoarthritis (OA) is still unclear. Many researchers
believed that the causes of OA could be articular
cartilage changes such as structure, biochemistry and
metabolism, which might be influenced by one or a
combination of genetic factors, overuse, accidents,
aging, dietary and inflammatory factors (Burnett et al.,
2006; Bennett, 2010). The prevalence of canine
osteoarthritis increased from 15% to 67% as dogs aged
(Gail et al., 2006). Moreover, another study showed
that canine OA affected about 20% of dogs that were
more than one year old (Johnston, 1997).
According to the pathogenesis and clinical
outcomes of OA, there are two purposes of OA
management, which are to relieve pain and to prevent
OA progression. Surgical, medical andor
nutraceuticals are provided to achieve these aims
(Wang et al., 2004). The development of nutraceuticals
has led to the hope that inhibition of the inflammatory
pathway can cause a reduction in articular
degradation. For this reason, the anti-inflammatory
properties of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
(omega-3 PUFAs) have attracted great interest as a
possible OA treatment. There are many types of
omega-3 PUFAs, of which eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA), docasahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA) are the three best-known
types (Yuan et al., 2006; Treschow et al., 2007; Roush et
al., 2010). Many clinical researchers revealed that both
green-lipped mussel extract (GLM) and fish oil (EPA
18% and DHA 12%) could reduce pain and increase
joint mobility in OA cases because they had an anti-
inflammatory effect. Many researchers demonstrated
that omega-3 PUFAs (especially ETA and EPA) might
affect the LOX and COX pathways by reducing the
production of leukotrienes and prostaglandins
(Whitehouse et al., 1997; Dugas, 2000; Murphy et al.,
2002). Identification of GLM components found a
predominant PUFA (ETA) structure that was similar to
arachidonic acid. As a result of a reduction in LOX
production, the PUFAs in GLM might be a significant
anti-inflammatory compound (Treschow et al., 2007).
Recently, Roush et al. (2010), Hielm-Bjorkman
et al. (2012) and Zawadzki et al. (2013) have evaluated
the effects of fish oil on weight bearing in OA dogs.
Moreover, other researchers showed that greater EPA
and DHA concentrations could improve the clinical
signs (lameness and weight bearing) of OA dogs
(Fritsch et al., 2010a; Fritsch et al., 2010b). Another
study on the use of GLM in OA dogs found that the
clinical signs improved significantly after six weeks
(Bierer and Bui, 2002).
PCSO-524 has a huge difference in efficacy
between other mussel extracts and powders due to the
patented CO2 extracted oil (Whitehouse et al., 1997).
Recently, there has been growing interest in
osteoarthritis biomarkers as primary outcome
measures. Although considerable research has been
devoted to clinical signs of improvement, rather less
attention has been paid to OA biomarkers as a mean by
which to monitor disease activity and predict disease
progression. Thus, the aim of this study was to
examine the positive effect of PCSO-524 (a long-chain
omega-3 PUFA compound from the New Zealand
green-lipped mussel) on the osteoarthritis biomarker
level, weight-bearing properties in the treatment of
canine shoulder and coxofemoral osteoarthritis
compared to fish oil.
Materials and Methods
Sixty-six dogs showed signs of coxofemoral
and/or shoulder osteoarthritis, which included limb
lameness, joint pain, stiffness and decreased range of
motion (ROM) (Millis, Taylor, & Levine, 2004).
Moreover, the evidence of OA at coxofemoral or
shoulder joints was indicated in radiographs (Sirois et
al., 2010). The dogs were only fed commercial standard
food (Royal Canin® mature large breed) for at least two
weeks before the study. The exclusion criteria during
this study were: 1. severe liver, gastrointestinal,
urogenital, or neurological problems and/or pregnant;
2. previous OA treatment with other drugs or dietary
supplements; and 3. a pain-score evaluation of more
than five points on the scale of the Glasgow Composite
Measure Pain Score-Short Form (Gaynor and Muir,
2009). Animal owner informed consents were gained
and the trial procedures were approved by the Faculty
of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University’s
Ethics Committee, Bangkok, Thailand (No. 12310001).
The 66 OA dogs were divided into two
groups by blind randomized sampling (Table 1). The
PCSO-524 group (produced by MacLab in Nelson,
New Zealand (Gibson, 2000) (n = 33) were fed PCSO-
524 with the recommended dosage (50mg/10kg body
weight) once daily. The fish oil group (n = 33) received
fish oil with the recommended dosage (1,000 mg/dog
twice daily) produced by Mega Lifesciences (Thailand)
(Table 2). The animals were reassessed at weeks two
(W2), four (W4), eight (W8), 12 (W12), 16 (W16), 20
(W20) and 24 (W24) for clinical evaluations and blood
collection. The owners' preferences were assessed
monthly. The treatment was terminated at the end of
the sixth month.
The severity of clinical lameness and OA
scoring were evaluated and recorded before (D0) and
after treatment, as well as at weeks two, four, eight, 12,
16, 20 and 24 by the use of the clinical scoring system
(Table 3) and the measurement of range of motion
(ROM - using a goniometer) by the same veterinarian
(Millis et al., 2004; McCarthy et al., 2007). The OA
scoring was defined by using radiographic and clinical
lameness correlation. Double measurement of ROM
was required in each position of assessment and mean
was calculated and recorded. The veterinarian was
blinded to group classification when he scored. Peak
vertical force gait analysis was performed in each leg
while the dogs were standing and walking for 3 times
by using the platform system (Chalayon et al., 2013).
Data were averaged, analyzed and scoring
collaborated with weight-bearing properties compared
with the expected normal weight-bearing properties in
each leg (Table 3). The normal ratio between forelimbs
and hind limbs is 60:40. The average weight-bearing
peak vertical force was calculated by comparison with
the expected weight bearing of each limb. The
lameness scores were defined as improved, not
improved and worsened if there were different

Soontornvipart K. et al. / Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165. 159
lameness scores before and after treatment. The peak
vertical forces of the improved group should be better
than 5% of normal expected values.
Four milliliter blood samples were collected
from each dog at pre-treatment and at weeks two, four,
eight, 12, 16, 20 and 24 post-treatments. One milliliter
was separated into two parts for complete blood counts
(CBCs) and blood chemistry tests (alanine
aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood
urea nitrogen and creatinine). The CBCs samples were
kept in anticoagulant (100IU/ml heparin; APS Finchem,
Australia). The analysis was performed only three
times, before weeks 12, 24 and after treatment, to
evaluate the health of animals. To prepare OA
biomarker samples, three milliliters of blood was
centrifuged at 7,000 x g for 15 minutes to obtain about
one milliliter of serum. This serum was frozen at -20oC
until a biomarker assay was performed. The
competitive inhibition quantitative enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was applied.
The ELISA detected the monoclonal antibody WF6,
which was the primary antibody (Tangkijvanich et al.,
2003). Then, the samples were added to microplate
wells that were prepared with embryonic shark
skeletal cartilage aggrecan to be a coating antigen, or to
be a competitor. Next, peroxidase conjugated anti-
mouse immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody was added
as a secondary antibody and the sample was
incubated. To encourage concentration of the epitope
WF6, the substrate was added and absorbance was
determined. Finally, the concentration of the epitope
WF6 was calculated and recorded.
Table 1 Signalment of animals
Group
Number
(N)
Joint
(n)
Age (year)
(mean [SD])
Body weight (kg)
(mean [SD])
Sex
(N)
PCSO-524
33
Hip (42)
Shoulder (7)
7.65 (1.84)
27.48 (4.98)
Female (14)
Male (19)
Fish oil
33
Hip (40)
Shoulder (4)
6.65 (1.79)
24.37 (5.57)
Female (18)
Male (15)
Table 2 Composition of PCSO-524* and fish oil**
Group of treatment
Composition of a capsule
Dose
PCSO-524
(50 mg/capsule)
- Perna canaliculusoil 50 mg
- Vitamin E 0.225 mg
- Others: olive oil, gelatin and glycerine
1 capsule per 10 kg
once daily
(8 weeks)
Fish oil
(1000 mg/capsule)
Fish oil 1,000 mg
- EPA 180 mg
- DHA 120 mg
- Vitamin E 1.4 mg
1 capsule per dog
once daily
(8 weeks)
*MacLab in Nelson, New Zealand ** Mega Lifesciences (Thailand)
Table 3 Weight bearing properties measured by peak vertical force gait analysis. Data were analyzed as percentage of expected
weight bearing in each leg: 60:40, forelimbs: hind limbs.
Joint
Patients with OA in hip joints
(percentage of mean [SD])
Patients with OA in shoulder joints
(percentage of mean [SD])
Time
D0
W2
W8
W16
W24
D0
W2
W8
W16
W24
PCSO-524
Fish oil
64.5
(6.43)
79.3
(4.32)
82.1
(8.42)
88.7
(5.11)
89.2
(5.81)
68.1
(4.18)
81.4
(7.12)
86.7
(3.84)
89.3
(6.18)
91.2
(2.12)
66.8
(8.41)
68.4
(5.31)
70.1
(9.21)
71.5
(8.76)
72.3
(3.14)
67.8
(9.42)
68.9
(7.63)
70.4
(8.43)
71.2
(9.44)
71.6
(4.56)
For observation of the supplements’ side
effects, we used a routine coagulation test as screening.
Buccal mucosal bleeding time was measured before the
treatment commenced and at weeks 12 and 24 after
PCSO-524 and fish oil administration. If the dogs had
prolonged bleeding time (more than 2.6 minutes),
coagulogram (activated partial thromboplastin time,
prothrombin time and thrombin time) was performed
(Jergans et al., 1987).
The concentration of OA biomarkers (WF6)
from the serum and ROM were reported as mean ± SD
each week in the same treatment. The paired t-test
procedure was used to test for differences between
before and after treatment in the same group.
Comparison between groups was analyzed using an
unpaired t-test. The clinical sign scores was calculated
as mean ± SD using the non-parametric two samples
Mann Whitney procedure (Powers and Knapp, 2010).
Relative data were analyzed using the SPSS program
(SPSS). p-values less than 0.05 were considered to be
significant.
Results
CBCs and serum chemistry were evaluated in
all dogs at D0 and W24. Most of the values were not
significantly different between D0 and W24 (p>0.05)
(Table 4). All means of parameters were in normal
range at both D0 and W24 in the two groups. There was
no significant difference in CBCs and blood chemistry

160 Soontornvipart K. et al. / Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165.
between the PCSO-524 group and the fish oil group at
both D0 and W24 (Table 4). The buccal mucosal
bleeding times were normal and there were no
significant differences before and after treatment in
either group.
The serum of 66 dogs was evaluated by the
CS-WF6 epitope concentration (Fig 1). The levels of
serum CS-WF6 epitope at D0 were not significantly
different between the groups. In the PCSO-524 group
(n = 33) the level of serum CS-WF6 epitope was
significantly lower at W2, W4, W8, W12, W16, W20 and
W24 compared with the level at D0. In the fish oil
group (n = 33) the level of serum CS-WF6 epitope at
W8 and W20 was significantly greater than that before
the treatment commenced (D0). There was a significant
difference in CS-WF6 concentration between the
groups at the 24th week after the treatment
commenced.
The evaluations of the weight-bearing score
in 82 hip joints were performed eight times within 24
weeks (Fig 2). Results revealed that the mean scores for
weight bearing in the PCSO-524 group showed
significant improvement (p<0.05) at W2 to W24,
respectively, while in the fish oil group they were not
significantly different during the first 12 weeks of
treatment. The means of weight-bearing scores were
significantly different between the groups after four
weeks of administration (p<0.05). Eleven shoulder
joints were evaluated for weight-bearing scores (Fig 3).
Results revealed that the mean scores for weight
bearing in the PCSO-524 group showed significant
improvement (p<0.05) after the first two weeks of
administration compared with D0, while in the fish oil
group they were not significantly different within the
treatment period. The means of weight-bearing scores
were significantly different between the groups at W4,
W8, W12, W16, W20 and W24 (p<0.05). The OA dogs
were evaluated for clinical outcomes (lameness and
weight bearing) by joints that were affected separately.
Eighty-two hip joints and 11 shoulder joints that were
assessed by clinical scoring was categorized into three
groups: improved, not improved and worsened after
24 weeks of the administration of PCSO-524 (Table 5).
Table 4 Comparison of CBCs and blood chemistry profiles between pre-treatment (D0) and post-treatment (W24) within group.
Parameters
Normal range
(Bennett, 2010)
D0
W24
p-value†
PCSO-524
Fish oil
PCSO-524
Fish oil
PCSO-524
Fish oil
R.B.C.x103 (cell/µl)
Hemoglobin (g/dl)
Hematocrit (%)
Platelet x103 (cell/µl)
W.B.C. x103 (cell/µl)
Neutrophils (%)
Eosinophils (%)
Basophils (%)
Lymphocytes (%)
Monocytes (%)
ALT (U/I)
ALP
BUN (mg%)
Creatinine (mg%)
5.2-8.06
12.4-19.1
29.8-57.5
160-525
5.4-15.3
51-84
0-9
0-1
8-38
1-9
4-91
3-60
7-26
0.6-1.4
6.15±1.32
14.41±2.47
41.66±6.21
289.47±81.29
10.00±3.76
71.60±9.92
2.26±2.92
0.21±0.51
17.34±7.46
6±2.29
34.43±10.16
57.21±31.44
16.17±7.85
1.1±0.38
6.62±0.78
15.35±1.68
44.22±4.80
297.47±61.64
11.10±2.86
72.95±6.88
2.91±2.69
0.04±0.20
16.13±5.96
6.00±1.88
58.89±27.79
62.86±31.39
14.65±3.92
0.94±0.22
6.38±1.19
14.76±2.26
42.25±6.30
293.52±67.65
10.04±2.49
70.91±7.75
2.08±2.37
0.21±0.67
15.82±5.41
5.21±2.77
35.69±9.63
56.52±20.5
15.29±5.65
1.07±0.47
6.93±0.73
15.58±1.3
45.31±5.26
286.34±46.34
10.27±1.69
71.08±8.17
2.04±1.74
0.17±0.38
14.60±6.23
5.52±2.15
34.13±12.67
56.56±20.83
16.69±4.64
0.90±0.20
0.2712
0.3087
0.3769
0.4276
0.4842
0.3961
0.4129
0.5000
0.2165
0.1517
0.3345
0.4466
0.3120
0.4196
0.0901
0.3029
0.2333
0.2462
0.1206
0.2030
0.1003
0.0811
0.2011
0.2133
0.1256
0.1280
0.4026
0.2983
†p-values between pre-treatment (D0) and the end of treatment (W24) in the PCSO-524 and fish oil groups. R.B.C: red blood cell,
W.B.C: white blood cell, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, ALP: alkaline phosphatase, BUN: blood urea nitrogen. Data are expressed
as mean±SD.
Table 5 Clinical outcomes after 24 weeks of PCSO-524 administration (hip and shoulder joints; n = 49)
Clinical outcomes (%)
Improved
Not improved
Worsened
Lameness score
43 (87.76%)
4 (8.16%)
2 (4.08%)
Weight-bearing score
39 (79.59%)
8 (16.33%)
2 (4.08%)

Soontornvipart K. et al. / Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165. 161
Figure 1 Mean of the levels of serum chondroitin sulfate epitope (CS-WF6; ng/ml). *Values were significantly different compared
with D0 within the groups (p<0.05). aValues were significantly different between the groups within the week (p<0.05).
Figure 2 Mean of weight-bearing scores (hip joints). *Values were significantly different compared with D0 within the groups
(p<0.05). aValues were significantly different between the groups within the week (p<0.05).
Figure 3 Mean of weight-bearing scores (shoulder joints). *Values were significantly different compared with D0 within the groups
(p<0.05). aValues were significantly different between the groups within the week (p<0.05).
**a *a *a *a *a *a
a*a *a *a *a
a
0
100
200
300
400
500
D0 W2 W4 W8 W12 W16 W20 W24
Mean of WF6 concentration
(ng/ml)
Mean of WF6 epitope concentration
PCSO-524
Fish oil
*a *a *a *a *a *a
aaa*a *a *a
Mean of weight-bearing scores
Mean of weight-bearing scores (hip joints)
PCSO-524
Fish oil
*
*
* a * a * a* a * a * a
aaa
Mean of weight-bearing scores
Mean of weight-bearing scores (shoulder joints)
PCSO-524
Fish oil
a
a a

162 Soontornvipart K. et al. / Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165.
The peak vertical force was calculated into
percentage compared to the normal weight- bearing
properties (forelimb = 30% and hind limb = 20%). The
peak vertical force (PVF) while standing and walking
in the PCSO-524 group significantly improved than in
the fish oil group since the 2nd week of administration
in the forelimbs and hind limbs (Table 5 and 6). ROMs
were acquired from 46 dogs, which were divided into
two groups (Table 7). In the PCSO-524 group there
were 42 hip joints and seven shoulder joints. In the fish
oil group there were 40 hip joints and four shoulder
joints.
Table 6 Clinical outcomes after 24 weeks of fish oil administration (hip and shoulder joints; n = 44)
Clinical outcomes (%)
Improved
Not improved
Worsened
Lameness score
14 (31.81%)
24 (54.55%)
6 (13.64%)
Weight-bearing score
13 (29.55%)
22 (50.00%)
9 (20.45%)
Table 7 Mean (SD) of ROMs in the PCSO-524 group and the fish-oil group
Joint
Hip joints (mean [SD])
Shoulder joints (mean [SD])
Time
D0
W2
W8
W16
W24
D0
W2
W8
W16
W24
Flex
(degree)
PCSO-
524
40.11
(7.50)
34.57*
Ϯ
(6.87)
33.32*
Ϯ
(4.79)
33.44*Ϯ
(4.76)
32.03*Ϯ
(4.64)
51.93
(9.32)
41.93*Ϯ
(8.99)
38.43*Ϯ
(6.98)
38.73*Ϯ
(7.86)
36.75*Ϯ
(5.80)
Fish oil
39.25
(6.63)
38.51
Ϯ
(7.01)
39.55
Ϯ
(6.03)
34.15 *
Ϯ
(5.65)
32.45*
Ϯ
(5.55)
53.16
(3.01)
51.33
Ϯ
(1.89)
51.50
Ϯ
(2.78)
49.41 * Ϯ
(0.87)
46.33*
Ϯ
(1.37)
Extend
(degree)
PCSO-
524
122.60Ϯ
(10.74)
130.6*
(11.74)
135.91*
(10.02)
137.48*
(8.48)
137.90*
(7.96)
121.75Ϯ
(4.66)
127.87*Ϯ
(5.8)
132.31*
(10.74)
134.31*
(8.17)
136.58*
(5.80)
Fish oil
130.60Ϯ
(11.41)
132.21
(7.98)
134.89
(6.33)
136.53*
(5.65)
138.74*
(5.35)
136.66Ϯ
(5.77)
136.33Ϯ
(5.34)
137.16
(4.90)
139.5*
(6.94)
139.00*
(4.82)
*Values were significantly different compared with the pre-treatment (D0) values within the groups (p<0.05).
ϮValues were significantly different between the groups within the week (p<0.05).
Discussion
The results of this study revealed that the
lameness score, peak vertical force weight-bearing
score and ROM in the PCSO-524 group showed
significantly greater improvement than those in the
fish oil group. The level of the WF6 epitope was
significantly less than that of the fish oil group. These
results supported the improvement of OA signs and
the slow OA progression among the dogs that were
given PCSO-524. This was in accord with previous
studies which found that OA dogs had greater
lameness scores and a greater concentration of WF6
epitope than those found in normal dogs
(Nganvongpanit et al., 2008a; Trakulsantirat et al.,
2011). The subjective assessment of OA signs is inferior
to an objective assessment obtained from force-
platform gait analysis (Roush et al., 2010). The clinical
outcomes in the present study, however, were assessed
by the same blinded veterinary orthopedist who has
extensive experience in the treatment of OA. This study
found that the clinical lameness and the peak vertical
force weight-bearing properties correlated and
improved in the PCSO-524 group, whereas those in the
fish oil group worsened at four weeks after the
administration commenced. The percentage of clinical
outcomes after 24 weeks of PCSO-524 administration
revealed a progression of lameness and weight-bearing
scores of only 4.08%. One dog required surgical
intervention at the femoral head and neck excision.
Rehabilitation, NSAIDs and omega-3 were applied for
pain relief and to assist in the return of limb function.
The veterinarian decided to give more treatment
because the pain score evaluation was more than five
points on the scale of the Glasgow Composite Measure
Pain Score-Short Form (Gaynor and Muir, 2009).
Previous studies investigated the serum WF6
epitope level and the alteration of the articular
cartilage, which was more sensitive to joint cartilage
degradation (Nganvongpanit et al., 2008a; Pruksakorn
et al., 2009). Therefore, the released serum WF6 from
extracellular matrix of joint cartilage is due to the
destruction of cartilage and the assay should be proven
for monitoring OA treatment or before and after
traumatic arthritis detection (Pruksakorn et al., 2009).
The results showed that the serum WF6 epitope
concentration in the PCSO-524 group was significantly
less than the concentration in the fish oil group at the
end of study. It is interesting that PCSO-524 may
decrease the cartilage destruction in OA dogs and the
effect was detected after two weeks of administration.
At W12 the PCSO-524 group showed that a mildly
increased WF6 level could result from an induced
catabolic process of the articular cartilage, but joint
metabolism recovered to maintain the balance of the
joint metabolism (Nganvongpanit et al., 2008b). On the
other hand, the dogs to which fish oil were
administered continued to experience joint cartilage
degradation, as indicated by an increase in the WF6
epitope concentration. The trend of the WF6 level of the
fish oil group was decreased slightly after W12. A
further long-term study should be performed. A
systematic review of research on the efficacy of
nutraceuticals for the relief of the clinical signs of
osteoarthritis examined 22 papers. Although the
conclusion was that the efficacy of nutraceuticals was
poor, omega-3 fatty acid in dogs was the exception
(Van de Weerd et al., 2012). The efficacy of omega-3 use

Soontornvipart K. et al. / Thai J Vet Med. 2015. 45(2): 157-165. 163
in OA dogs varies according to the source, the omega-
3 to omega-6 ratio, the volume of EPA and DHA and
also the extraction method and subsequent processing.
The carrier elements and the anti-oxidant used to
stabilize an active ingredient also have an effect on the
efficacy (Whitehouse et al., 1997; Treschow et al., 2007;
Fritsch et al., 2010a; Fritsch et al., 2010b). A study
revealed that high EPA and DHA concentrations in
food (approximately 2.94% of dry weight) and a high
omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio (approximately
2.19) improved the clinical outcome significantly after
90 days (Fritsch et al., 2010a). Another study found that
the lameness and weight-bearing scores of 38 OA dogs
improved after they received a diet that contained 3.5%
omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) (Roush et al., 2010). These
results were the opposite of what this study found,
however the period of the study of Roush (2010) was
only 60 days. The result of a consistent dose of fish oil
in dogs is not understood well because there have been
only a small number of animal studies. The adverse
effect is that EPA may inhibit blood clotting. There are
no known adverse effects of DHA (Beale, 2004). The
impact on blood clotting was measured twice
(monthly) during the term of a study, by recording the
buccal mucosal bleeding. All the dogs experienced
normal bleeding (less than 2.6 minutes) (Jergans et al.,
1987). It should also be borne in mind that the omega-
3 and omega-6 content of each product is different
because of source variation and different processes.
The source of an omega-3 has been shown to have a
great bearing on its efficacy. Omega-3 chains extracted
from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna
canaliculus) have been shown to be much more potent
than fish oil as an anti-inflammatory (Whitehouse et
al., 1997). Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil include EPA
and DHA (Fritsch et al., 2010a), but those in PCSO-524
include compound fatty acids (ETA, EPA, DHA, etc.)
(Treschow et al., 2007). Although PCSO-524 is a GLM
extract, it is different from other GLM products. PCSO-
524 is the result of a patented extraction and
stabilization process part of which a super-critical fluid
process is used (Whitehouse et al., 1997; Treschow et
al., 2007; Soontornvipart and Mongkhon, 2012). PCSO-
524 is a lipid-rich extract that improved OA signs and
delayed cartilage degradation at the second week after
administration in the present study. A new study of 12
weeks of PCSO-524 administration to dogs that had
OA at shoulder, hip and/or stifle joints and cauda
equine syndrome revealed that a large percentage of
dogs improved in clinical lameness (Mongkon and
Soontornvipart, 2012). These studies provide evidence
of the efficacy of GLM. The present study found that
the unique composition of PCSO-524 provided a faster
rate of improvement than the GLM powder. A study
that compares the efficacy of different GLM extracts
will provide useful data. Another advantage of PCSO-
524 is that it can be used in the long term without
adverse side effects (Beale, 2004; Wang et al., 2004) to
treat OA, provide pain relief and help dog to regain
limb function quickly (Bennett, 2010; Nelson et al.,
2006). This study indicated that PCSO-524 had a
greater therapeutic effect on OA dogs than fish oil. The
administration of PCSO-524 can improve clinical signs
and ROM, and decrease the level of serum WF6 epitope
in canine shoulder and coxofemoral osteoarthritis.
There were no proven side effects in either of the
nutraceuticals administered during this clinical trial.
The analyses of complete blood counts and blood
chemistry were not different between pre-treatment
and the end of this study.
In conclusion, the PCSO-524 administration
led to good clinical outcomes and laboratory results of
osteoarthritis of the shoulder and hip joints in dogs.
The fish oil did not show any positive effects in the
canine osteoarthritic treatment.
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


กัมปนาท สุนทรวิภาต1* ณัฐวดี มงคล1 กรกฏ งามวงศ์พาณิชย์2 ปรัชญา คงทวีเลิศ3
 
 (PCSO-524)      

 PCSO-524 (n = 33) 
(n = 33) (WF6)

        WF6  PCSO-524
(262.46±118.06 ngml)(324.76±133.65 ngml)(p<0.05)

PCSO-524 
 
  PCSO-524 
 PCSO-524 

: 
110330
250100
350200
*ผู้รับผิดชอบบทความE-mail: skumpana@gmail.com
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