title: Myrtol ameliorates cartilage lesions in an osteoarthritis rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of myrtol standardized on cartilage lesions in osteoarthritis (OA) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (13 rats) and OA model group (43 rats) with interior meniscus excision. Then serum estradiol (E2) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in cartilage tissue were measured by radioimmunoassay and toluidine blue staining, respectively. After that, the model rats were randomly divided into low dose myrtol (LDM) group, middle dose myrtol (MDM) group and high dose myrtol (HDM) group (10 rats in each group) with treatment of 450 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg myrtol, respectively. Then, Mankin scores were used to evaluate lesion extent of knee joint cartilage. Expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin (IL)-6, Bax and Bcl-2 were investigated using PCR gel electrophoresis method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mankin cores were lower in sham group and myrtol group than in model group. There were statistically significant differences (P < 0.01) between sham group and model group in expression of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-6, Bax and Bcl-2 in the cartilage tissue. Myrtol significantly reduced the expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and Bax, and increased the expression of TGF-β1 and Bcl-2 in myrtol group, comparing with those in model group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Myrtol could down-regulate the expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and Bax, and up-regulate the expression of TGF-β1 and Bcl-2. Myrtol standardized is a promising drug to ameliorate knee cartilage lesions in the OA rat model.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University Chengdu 610041, China ; Department of Stomatology, Ningbo First Hospital Ningbo 315000, China.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, First Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University Xinjiang 830000, China.
authors.forename: Abudu Kelimujiang
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Maimaiti
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical School of Nantong University Nantong 226001, China.
authors.forename: Donghui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Songsong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004338:Drug Combinations; D039821:Monoterpenes; C055632:myrtol
keywords: Osteoarthritis; cytokines; estradiol (E2); glycosaminoglycan (GAG); myrtol standardized