Therapeutic effect of tripterine on adjuvant arthritis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
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.


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.
Li
Hong
H
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Zhang
Yun-Yi
YY
Tan
Hui-Wen
HW
Jia
Yong-Feng
YF
Li
Duan
D
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000188:drug therapy; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D014315:Triterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C050414:celastrol