Therapeutic effect of tripterine on adjuvant arthritis in rats

AIMS OF THE STUDY: Tripterygium wilfordii Hoog f., a perennial vine, is used in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This study was to determine whether tripterine, isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hoog f., had therapeutic effects on adjuvant arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adjuvant arthritis (AA) was induced in rats on day 0. Tripterine 5, 10 and 20 mg kg(-1)day(-1), or prednisone 10 mg kg(-1)day(-1) was given to rats intragastrically from day 19 to day 24. RESULTS: Tripterine significantly inhibited paw swelling and bone destruction in AA rats. Serum level of IgG anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibodies and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis were also decreased by tripterine. The effects of tripterine were associated with decreased interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA expression in ankle joint synovial membrane and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA expression in homogenized paws from adjuvant-induced arthritic rats. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that tripterine had a therapeutic effect on adjuvant arthritis.