Treatment of knee osteoarthritis by tonifying kidney and spleen and activating blood circulation herbs via chondrocyte IL-1beta/ERR-alpha/SOX9/Col2alpha1 signaling pathway in a rat model

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2881

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint disease with high morbidity and disability, which severely threatens the life quality of patients. Chinese herbs that invigorate the kidney and spleen and activate blood circulation can improve the clinical symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, but its specific mechanism is still unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of invigorating kidney, invigorating spleen and activating blood circulation herbs regulating the IL-1β/ERRα/SOX9/Col2α1 signaling pathway in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis in ovariectomized rats.

METHODS: Six-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, experimental group and positive control group. The ovariectomy and excision of the cruciate ligament and medial meniscus were performed in the latter three groups to make the rat models of knee osteoarthritis. Two weeks after operation, the rats were treated with invigorating kidney, invigorating spleen and activating blood circulation herbs, celecoxib capsules, or normal saline. Serum samples and knee cartilage tissues were collected after 6 weeks of continuous gastric administration. Serum estradiol content was detected by ELISA. Expression of IL-1β/ERRα/SOX9/Col2α1 signaling pathway in articular cartilage tissues was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and western blot.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the blank control group, the expression of IL-1β in the model group increased significantly, while the expression of estradiol, ERRα, SOX9 and Col2α1 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of IL-1β in the experimental group decreased significantly, while the expression of estradiol, ERRα, SOX9 and Col2α1 increased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the positive control group, the expression of IL-1β, ERRα, and Col2α1 in the experimental group was significantly increased, while the expression of SOX9 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the IL-1β/ERRα/SOX9/Col2α1 signaling pathway is involved in knee osteoarthritis-induced cartilage lesion, and Chinese herbs for invigorating kidney and spleen and activating blood circulation play a therapeutic role through this mechanism.

Key words: Chinese herbs for invigorating kidney and spleen and activating blood circulation, knee osteoarthritis, IL-1β/ERRα/SOX9/Col2α1 signaling pathway, animal experiment, rat

CLC Number:

Huo Shaochuan, Wang Haibin, Tang Hongyu, Wang Yueqi, Chen Qunqun, Feng Ziyu, Li Yikai. Treatment of knee osteoarthritis by tonifying kidney and spleen and activating blood circulation herbs via chondrocyte IL-1beta/ERR-alpha/SOX9/Col2alpha1 signaling pathway in a rat model[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2020, 24(35): 5577-5581.

Figures/Tables 3

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