Effects of shuangtengbitong tincture on collagen‑induced arthritis in rats.
Shuangtengbitong tincture (STBT), a clinical prescription from the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Affiliated People's Hospital (Fuzhou, China), has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for ~10 years. The aim of the current study was to conﬁrm the anti-RA effect of STBT and to evaluate the potential mechanisms underlying collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. CIA model Wistar rats were induced with bovine type II collagen. The rats were immunized with CIA and were treated with STBT (0.5 and 2 ml/injection) and votalin (~1 cm/injection) continuously for ~1 month. Following treatment, the pathological sections of CIA rat joints were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, expression of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) were investigated by western blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Following treatment, STBT significantly suppressed paw swelling (P<0.05) compared with the model group and increased body weight. STBT also reversed pathological changes, STBT‑treated rats showed a signiﬁcant improvement of synovial hyperplasia, inﬂammatory inﬁltration, and cartilage and bone destruction. The levels of protein and mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB were markedly suppressed in the synovial tissue of STBT‑ and votalin-treated rats. In addition, STBT showed marked inhibition of the levels of protein and mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB at an STBT volume ranging between 1 and 4 ml/day, indicating that the inhibition was volume dependent. These results show that STBT inhibits CIA and may be correlated with TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB expression.
Pharmacy College, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
Wei
W
Xu
Huang
H
Li
Kedan
K
Chu
Yuqin
Y
Zhang
Haiyin
H
Zheng
Mingqing
M
Huang
Xun
X
Zhang
Lidian
L
Chen
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D024043:Collagen Type II; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; C507781:Myd88 protein, rat; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495347:Tlr4 protein, rat; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4