补肾通络汤治疗类风湿关节炎的效果及对骨代谢指标的影响

目的 探究补肾通络汤治疗类风湿关节炎(RA)的效果.方法 采用单双号随机化分组将90例RA患者分为对照组和观察组,每组45例.对照组采用常规西医治疗,观察组在此基础上应用补肾通络汤.比较两组的治疗效果.结果 治疗后,两组BAP、PⅠNP、TNF-α、IL-1β水平及关节肿胀指数、关节压痛指数及关节功能指数均较治疗前降低...     

RNA干扰技术抑制类风湿关节炎成纤维细胞COX-2合成

目的 体外合成针对人环氧化酶-2（hCOX-2）的小分子干扰RNA（siRNA）,并转染人人滑膜成纤维细胞,通过比较不同siRNA抑制COX-2 mRNA表达、COX-2蛋白合成以及下游产物PGE2水平,旨在确定特异性阻断人滑膜成纤维细胞COX-2的siRNA.方法 分离、培养和传代人类风湿关节炎（类风关）滑膜成纤维细胞.设计合成4条针对hCOX-2 mRNA siRNA（1#-4#siRNA）,1条随机序列siRNA.设立1#-4#siRNA和随机序列siRNA组（NC）及未转染对照组（CTL组）.应用Lipofect AMINE 2000将上述siRNA分别转染人滑膜成纤维细胞,4 h后各培养孔加入终浓度为100 nmol/L的佛波酯.转染36 h、48 h后,各组提取蛋白质和总RNA,应用RT-PCR检测hCOX-2 mRNA表达水平,通过Western Blot检测hCOX-2蛋白表达水平.采用ELISA方法检测各组上清液PGE2的水平.结果 转染36 h,PCR结果显示,CTL、NC、1#siRNA、2#RNA、3#RNA、4#siRNA、阳性对照HeLa细胞组hCOX-2 mRNA电泳条带密度值分别为1、0.72、0.3、0.25、0.4、0.04、2.1.Western Blot结果提示上述各组hCOX-2蛋白密度值分别为1、1.04、0.52、0.39、0.9、0和2.48.转染48 h后,各组hCOX-2蛋白条带密度值分别为0.05、0.52、0.51、0.9和0.15.转染24 h、48 h和72 h后,4#siRNA组培养上清液PGE2的水平较其他各组低.结论 4#siRNA能有效抑制人滑膜成纤维细胞COX-2 mRNA表达和COX-2蛋白的合成,且上清液中PGE2水平最低,证实4#siRNA能特异性阻断COX-2在滑膜成纤维细胞表达.     

Network pharmacology-based pharmacological mechanism prediction on Eucommia ulmoides against rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation and progressive joint destruction. Eucommia ulmoides (EU) is a kidney-tonifying Chinese medicine that has been applied to treat RA for decides. The present study aims to explore pharmacological mechanisms of EU against RA using network pharmacology approach. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to screen active ingredients of EU, and their relative targets were fished from UniProt database. RA-related targets were screened from GeneCards database and DisGeNET database. The overlapping genes between EU and RA were identified by Venn diagram, and further analyzed for protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Fifty active ingredients were identified in EU, and corresponded to 207 targets. Meanwhile, 499 targets were closely associated with RA development. A total of 50 overlapping genes between EU and RA were identified, which were regarded as therapeutically relevant. GO enrichment analysis indicated that EU exerted antiRA effects depending on regulating multiple biological processes including inflammatory response, oxidative stress, cell apoptosis and matrix catabolism. Several key pathways such as TNF pathway, IL-17 pathway, T cell receptor pathway, NOD-like receptor pathway and Toll-like receptor pathway, were involved in the above biological processes. Network pharmacology revealed that EU exerts therapeutic effects on RA through multi-ingredients, multi-targets and multi-pathways, which provides basis for its clinical application and promising directions for subsequent research.     

Further studies on glucametacin in rheumatoid arthritis and in other chronic types of rheumatism

Summary

Twenty-three patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 9 patients with other forms of rheumatic diseases were treated for 20 days with 420?mg glucametacin per day, given as three 140?mg capsules. The treatment produced anti-inflammatory effects which were rated as good in about half the cases, with improvement of the majority of the clinical parameters studied. There were mild digestive side-effects. One patient with gallstones developed biliary colic, but the relationship of this to glucametacin treatment was not clear. The results obtained in the 32 patients treated with 140?mg glucametacin capsules were very similar to those which the same authors had observed in a very extensive case series of patients with rheumatic diseases treated with the same daily dose, but given as 70?mg capsules. It is suggested that the new preparation, which halves the number of capsules taken each day, is to be preferred to the smaller dose capsules.     

Protective effects of thymoquinone and methotrexate on the renal injury in collagen-induced arthritis

The goal of this investigation was to study the protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) and methotrexate (MTX) on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. On day 0 under ether anesthesia, the experimental groups were immunized with 0.5 mg native chick collagen II (CII) solubilized in 0.1 M acetic acid and emulsified in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. Control rats were gavaged with vehicle, whereas CII was administered intradermally. In addition, arthritis treated with TQ group received TQ (10 mg kg(-1) bw by gavage once a week for 3 weeks starting on day 0); and arthritis treated with MTX group received MTX (MTX was suspended in corn oil and administered by gavage at 1 mg kg (-1) bw once a week for 3 weeks starting on day 0). A significant decrease in the incidence and severity of arthritis by clinical and radiographic assessments was found in recipients of therapy, compared with that of controls. The MTX treatment significantly (P<0.01) decreased the elevated serum NO, urea and creatinine in arthritic rats. Likewise, TQ treatment was also able to reduce significantly (P<0.05) serum NO, urea and creatinine levels, but to lesser extent than MTX. The histopathologic abnormalities are consistent with the hydropic epithelial cell degenerations and moderate tubular dilatation in the some proximal and distal tubules. The severity of the degenerative changes in most of the shrunken glomerules and vascular congestion were also observed in arthritic animals. Preventive treatment of TQ and especially MTX significantly inhibited kidney dysfunction and this histopathologic alterations. These studies indicate that TQ can be used similar to MTX as a safe and effective therapy for CIA and may be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.     

红花如意丸联合秦氏风湿灵治疗女性风湿性关节炎临床研究

目的:观察红花如意丸联合秦氏风湿灵治疗女性风湿性关节炎的临床疗效。方法:选择2012年5月—2014年9月就诊于本院的1 166例风湿痹证患者,随机分为对照组378例,治疗1组390例和治疗2组398例。对照组进行西医常规治疗,治疗1组采用秦氏风湿灵加减治疗,治疗2组在治疗1组的基础上加用红花如意丸治疗。比较三组患者临床症状、膝关节功能、实验室指标急临床疗效。结果:对照组有效率为73.02%,治疗1组有效率为84.36%,治疗2组为有效率95.23%,组间比较,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗2组晨僵时间、肿胀关节数、疼痛关节数明显低于对照组和治疗1组,Lysholm评分、Tenger评分明显高于对照组和治疗1组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗2组血清TNF-α、IL-1β、CRP、ESR均明显低于对照组和治疗1组差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:红花如意丸联合秦氏风湿灵有助于缓解女性风湿性关节患者临床症状,改善膝关节功能,减轻炎症反应,提高临床疗效。     

Therapeutic effects of total alkaloids of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. on collagen-induced arthritis in rats

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. is one of Traditional Chinese Medicines which is commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The total alkaloids were the main constituent part of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. It has a great significance to study the effects of the total alkaloids of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. (ATW) on RA.

Aim of the study

This paper aims at investigating the therapeutic effect of ATW on RA and its possible mechanism, and providing a theoretical and experimental basis for the clinical use of ATW.

Materials and methods

The model of wistar rats of type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was made, and the rats were perfused a stomach with ATW for 4 weeks continuously. Then the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-<alpha>, in the serum of CIA rats were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the joint pathological section of CIA rats was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining method and the expression of IL-6, IL-8, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), TNF-α were measure by immunohistochemistry staining method.

Results

Compared with model group, ATW could significantly reduce paw swelling and suppresse articular cartilage degenerated. The results also found that there was significant reduction levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in serum of CIA rats treated with ATW and ATW inhibited the expression of IL-6, IL-8, NF-κB, TNF-α in synovial tissue.

Conclusion

ATW not only could inhibit the symptom of CIA rats significantly but also could inhibit the production of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α in serum and the expression of IL-6, IL-8, NF-κB and TNF-α in synovial tissue targeting the inflammatory. ATW would be a drug as a novel botanical drug for the treatment of RA.     

Inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators and tumor cell proliferation by Anisomeles indica extracts

Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze (Labiatae), is a traditional anti-inflammatory herb used in Taiwan. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of whole plants, leaves, flowers and stems; and chloroform and n-butanol fractions of methanol extract, from A. indica were investigated for their anti-inflammatory activity on murine peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the tumor cells proliferation inhibition activities of these extracts were also evaluated against a panel of tumor cell lines such as Colon 205, PC 3, HepG2 and MCF 7. Treatment with A. indica extracts did not reduce cell viability at any dose used. However, all the extracts significantly inhibited the enhanced production of NO radicals, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, and IL-12) induced by LPS/IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, methanolic extracts of leaves and flowers significantly and dose-dependently arrest mitogen-stimulated spleen cells in G0/G1 stage, in addition to their cell proliferation inhibition against Colon 205, MCF 7 and PC 3 by 94, 82; 98, 71; 82, 98%, respectively, at 200 microg/mL concentration. This is the first report on A. indica extracts for their growth inhibitory activities, against inflammatory mediator production, and human tumor cell lines, colon, prostate, hepatoma and breast cells proliferation.     

Effects of TGFbeta1 and extracts from Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe on acute and chronic arthritis in rats

AIM OF THE STUDY: To elucidate the pharmacological activities of deer antler acupuncture and TGF61538;1 on the acute and chronic phases of rheumatoid arthritis diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Polyarthritis rats were administered with TGF61538;1 and water extract of deer antler acupunture (DAA), prepared from the pilose antler of Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe. TGF61538; (0.1 to 2 61549;g/animal) and DAA (5-100 61549;g/kg animal) were initiated 1 day before an arthritogenic dose of streptococcal cell wall fragments to see the effects on the joint swelling and distortion during the acute phase and the chronic phase of the disease. Arthritic index suppression of rat arthritis model was examined by TGF61538; and DAA administrations. RESULTS: TGF61538;1 and DAA diminished the polyarthritis development in rats. TGF61538; and DAA eliminated the joint swelling and distortion observed during the acute phase and the chronic phase of the disease. The TGF61538; and DAA suppressed the arthritis progress when administration was begun after acute phase of arthritis. DISCUSSION: Consistent with the inhibition of inflammatory cell recruitment into the synovium, TGF61538;1 and DAA reversed the leukocytosis associated with the chronic phase of the arthritis, respectively.