title: [Effect of acupuncture on expression of matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor in cartilage of rats with knee osteoarthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the curative mechanism of acupuncture treatment on osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty cases of female SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, an acupuncture group and a medication group, 10 cases in each group. OA animal model was established by using the method of heel tendon resection for unilateral hind limb. The acupuncture group was treated with electroacupuncture at "Xiqian"(ST 35) and "Housanli"(ST 36), and the medication group with inunction of Diclofenac cream, and the normal group and the model group without any treatment. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1, 3 (MMP-1, MMP-3) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in the cartilage were observed by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences among four groups. The expressions of MMP-1, MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in the model, acupuncture and medication groups were all significantly stronger than those in the normal group (all P < 0.01). The expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in the acupuncture and medication groups were down regulated and TIMP-1 expression up-regulated with significant differences as compared with the model group (all P < 0.01), and the expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in acupuncture group were significantly lower, while TIMP-1 expression significantly higher than that in the medication group (all P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture can down-regulate the expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 and up-regulate the expression of TIMP1, which is superior to that of Diclofenac cream, showing that acupuncture has a certain protective effect on cartilage from OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of TCM, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Dao-Hai
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun-Xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000032:analysis*; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000032:analysis*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1