Intra-articular injection of liraglutide attenuates capsular fibrosis and improves shoulder range of motion in a rat model of adhesive capsulitis
Abstract
Adhesive capsulitis is a disabling shoulder disorder characterized by progressive pain and capsular fibrosis, for which intra-articular corticosteroid injection provides only short-term anti-inflammatory relief without directly targeting fibrosis. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have shown anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in other organ systems, but their potential in musculoskeletal fibrosis is unexplored. We evaluated intra-articular liraglutide in a rat model of adhesive capsulitis. Thirty rats were allocated at the outset into a non-immobilized sham group and four immobilized groups (saline, triamcinolone, low-dose liraglutide, high-dose liraglutide); two rats died during immobilization, leaving 28 for analysis. After 6 weeks of shoulder immobilization, each immobilized rat received a single intra-articular injection of its assigned agent. Passive shoulder abduction angle, capsular thickness, and immunohistochemical markers of fibrosis were assessed. A linear mixed-effects model showed a significant group-by-time interaction for abduction angle ( p = 0.002); at 3 weeks, all three treatment groups improved significantly more than saline. Capsular thickness and fibronectin expression were significantly lower than saline in all three treatment groups, while alpha-smooth muscle actin was significantly reduced only with high-dose liraglutide. These findings identify liraglutide as a candidate antifibrotic approach for adhesive capsulitis warranting further preclinical and clinical investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026intraarticular,
title = {{Intra-articular injection of liraglutide attenuates capsular fibrosis and improves shoulder range of motion in a rat model of adhesive capsulitis}},
author = {Hyun Gon Kim and Jeon Yeong and Bo Taek Kim and Dong Hun Suh and Sang Hoon Jeong and Yoon Hee Park and Hayan Park and Jae Chul Yoo and Jung Ho Park},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-73949-y},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73949-y},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Intra-articular injection of liraglutide attenuates capsular fibrosis and improves shoulder range of motion in a rat model of adhesive capsulitis
AU - Hyun Gon Kim
AU - Jeon Yeong
AU - Bo Taek Kim
AU - Dong Hun Suh
AU - Sang Hoon Jeong
AU - Yoon Hee Park
AU - Hayan Park
AU - Jae Chul Yoo
AU - Jung Ho Park
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-73949-y
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73949-y
AB - Adhesive capsulitis is a disabling shoulder disorder characterized by progressive pain and capsular fibrosis, for which intra-articular corticosteroid injection provides only short-term anti-inflammatory relief without directly targeting fibrosis. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have shown anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in other organ systems, but their potential in musculoskeletal fibrosis is unexplored. We evaluated intra-articular liraglutide in a rat model of adhesive capsulitis. Thirty rats were allocated at the outset into a non-immobilized sham group and four immobilized groups (saline, triamcinolone, low-dose liraglutide, high-dose liraglutide); two rats died during immobilization, leaving 28 for analysis. After 6 weeks of shoulder immobilization, each immobilized rat received a single intra-articular injection of its assigned agent. Passive shoulder abduction angle, capsular thickness, and immunohistochemical markers of fibrosis were assessed. A linear mixed-effects model showed a significant group-by-time interaction for abduction angle ( p = 0.002); at 3 weeks, all three treatment groups improved significantly more than saline. Capsular thickness and fibronectin expression were significantly lower than saline in all three treatment groups, while alpha-smooth muscle actin was significantly reduced only with high-dose liraglutide. These findings identify liraglutide as a candidate antifibrotic approach for adhesive capsulitis warranting further preclinical and clinical investigation.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -