Relaxin inhibits patellar tendon healing in rats: a histological and biochemical evaluation

BACKGROUND: Female patients are more likely to have tendon injuries than males, especially those who has a higher concentration of relaxin. Previous studies have demonstrated that relaxin attenuates extracellular matrix (ECM) formation. However, the mechanism of relaxin on tendon repair remains unclear. We hypothesize that relaxin inhibits tendon healing by disrupting collagen synthesis. METHODS: A patellar tendon window defect model was established using Sprague-Dawley rats. The center of the patellar tendon was removed from the patella distal apex and inserted to the tibia tuberosity in width of 1 mm. Then, the rats were injected with saline (0.2 μg/kg/day) or relaxin (0.2 μg/kg/day) for two and four weeks, which was followed by biomechanical analysis and histological and histochemical examination. RESULTS: Mechanical results indicated that relaxin induces a significant decrease in tear resistance, stiffness, and Young’s modulus compared to those rats without relaxin treatment. In addition, it was shown that relaxin activates relaxin family peptide receptor 1(RXFP1), disturbs the balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases (TIMPs), and reduces the deposition of collagen in injury areas. CONCLUSIONS: Relaxin impairs tendon healing in rats. Also, relaxin might lead to tendon injury more commonly for females than males. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12891-019-2729-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.