title: Effects of an aqueous extract ofEucommiaon articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis of the knee.
abstract: Osteoarthritis is a common chronic and progressively degenerative joint condition. The stem bark ofEucommia ulmoidesOliver (a member of the Eucommiaceae family), which is also known as Du-Zhong, is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects ofEucommiain the treatment of arthritis of the knee require further study. The present study investigated the effects of an aqueous extract ofEucommiaon the articular cartilage (by Mankin's grade) and the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-3 and MMP-13 in the serum and synovial fluid in a rat model of osteoarthritis. The serum levels of MMP-1, -3 and -13 were measured by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at weeks 1, 2 and 4. The levels of MMP-1, -3 and 13 were significantly decreased in the rats treated withEucommiacompared with those in the control rats (P<0.05). Histopathological examination results indicated a lower Mankin's grade in theEucommiagroup compared with that of the control rats. Therefore,Eucommiawas demonstrated to have a cartilage-protecting effect in rats with osteoarthritis, potentially by improving cartilage metabolism, regulating the degradation of the extracellular matrix of the articular cartilage, and inhibiting apoptosis in chondrocytes, thereby slowing down joint degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China ; Guangdong Second Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510095, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Wengang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guangbin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yan
keywords: Eucommia; articular cartilage; knee osteoarthritis; matrix metalloproteinase-1; matrix metalloproteinase-13; matrix metalloproteinase-3