Avocado and Soybean May Help OA

A French product containing the elements of avocado and soybean oils may improve osteoarthritis (OA), suggest the results of a study published recently in the Journal of Rheumatology. To investigate how the product, known as A1S2 or Piascledine, works, researchers studied the effects on chondrocytes (cartilage-producing cells) taken from the joints of patients with OA. The study showed that A1S2 dramatically enhanced the production by chondrocytes of aggrecan?a key component of cartilage?beginning 9 days after treatment and increasing through day 12. The individual avocado and soybean components worked as well as A1S2 in boosting aggrecan production.

A1S2 but not the individual components, however, also restored aggrecan synthesis blocked by interleukin-1-beta. In addition, A1S2 reduced levels of several inflammatory factors produced by the chondrocytes. Yves E. Henrotin, PhD, an author of the study, said that the team is also investigating the effects of A1S2 on bone-replenishing cells, ?because we suspect that this compound could also act on the structural changes observed in osteoarthritic bone.?