Figure 1. Schematic representation of the experimental
protocol of behavioural and ex vivo analysis in the model of
osteoarthritis induced with monoiodoacetate (MIA). Osteoarthritis was
induced by a single intra-articular injection of MIA (2 mg/25 µL) into
the right knee of male and female rats on day 0. Vortioxetine (VOR) and
duloxetine (DLX) were administered orally once daily for 28 days,
starting on the day of MIA injection (day 0) and ending on day 27.
Behavioural tests (weight-bearing, WB, von Frey, and rotarod) were
performed several times on the days indicated in the figure. Following
the last behavioural test on day 28, the animals were sacrificed, and
the knee tissue, ipsilateral L3-L5 dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord
were harvested for quantitative real-time PCR analysis and redox status
analysis.