Analgesic and anti-arthritic effects of Lingzhi and San Miao San supplementation in a rat model of arthritis induced by Freund's complete adjuvant.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we have investigated the analgesic and anti-arthritic effects of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combination of Lingzhi and San Miao San (SMS) in a rat model of arthritis induced by Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA).


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were induced with monoarthritis by single unilateral injection of FCA into the knee joint. The TCM combination was administered to the rats daily by intraperitoneal injection (50mg/(kgday)) or via oral administration (500mg/(kgday)) for 7 days before induction of arthritis and 7 days after. Extension angle that provoked struggling behavior, and size and blood flow of the rat knees were measured to give indexes of allodynia, edema, and hyperemia, respectively. The extent of cell infiltration, tissue proliferation, and erosions of joint cartilage provided additional indexes of the arthritis condition.


RESULTS
FCA injection produced significant allodynia, edema, hyperemia, immune cell infiltration, synovial tissue proliferation, and erosions of joint cartilage in the ipsilateral knees compared with the contralateral saline-injected knees. Intraperitoneal injection of the TCM combination (50mg/(kgday)) suppressed allodynia, edema, and hyperemia in the inflamed knees, and oral administration (500mg/(kgday)) suppressed edema and hyperemia. Histological examination showed that the TCM administered by either route reduced immune cell infiltration and erosion of joint cartilage.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the Lingzhi and SMS formulation has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in arthritic rat knees, and concur to previous clinical studies that showed the TCM combination reduced pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and extends its possible benefit to suppression of inflammatory symptoms in these patients.
Lam
Francis Fu Yuen
FF
Department of Pharmacology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China. FrancisLam@cuhk.edu.hk
Ko
Iris Wai Man
IW
Ng
Ethel Sau Kuen
ES
Tam
Lai Shan
LS
Leung
Ping Chung
PC
Li
Edmund Kwok Ming
EK
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020940:Reishi
D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C524423:san miao san; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant