title: [Effect of triptolide on expressions of Notch receptors and ligands in rats with adjuvant- induced arthritis and reduced pulmonary function].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of triptolide on Notch receptor and ligand expressions in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC) group, model (MC) group, methotrexate group and triptolide groups. Rat models of AA were established by an intradermal injection of 0.1 mL Freund's complete adjuvant into the right paw. Twelve days after the injection, the rats were treated with corresponding drugs for 30 days; the rats in NC group and MC group were given saline only. Paw edema volume (E), arthritis index (AI), pulmonary function, histomorphologies, and Notch receptor/ ligand expression in the lung tissue were analyzed after the treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the NC group, E, AI, Notch3, Notch4, and Delta1 expressions in the lung tissues significantly increased while pulmonary function and pulmonary expressions of Notch1, Jagged1, and Jagged2 significantly decreased the model rats (P<0.01). Compared with the MC group, triptolide-treated rats showed significantly improved pulmonary functions, increased expressions of Notch1, Jagged1, and Jagged2 and decreased expressions of Notch3, Notch4, and Delta1 in the lungs (P<0.05, P<0.01); the therapeutic effect of triptolide was better than that of methotrexate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Triptolide can reduce inflammatory reaction and immune complex deposition to improve joint and pulmonary symptoms in rats with AA possibly by up-regulating the expressions of Notch3, Notch4, and Delta1 and down-regulating the expressions of Jagged1, Jagged2, and Notch1.
authors.affiliation: D Division of Rheumatology, First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China. E-mail: yxwanlei@163.com.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chuan-Bing
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wan-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yun-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000072100:Jagged-1 Protein; D000072101:Jagged-2 Protein; D008024:Ligands; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000494:pharmacology; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D000071656:Receptor, Notch3; D000074562:Receptor, Notch4; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000072099:Serrate-Jagged Proteins
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004224:Diterpenes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C000606275:Jag1 protein, rat; C490502:Jag2 protein, rat; D000072100:Jagged-1 Protein; D000072101:Jagged-2 Protein; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C498556:Notch3 protein, rat; C560417:Notch4 protein, rat; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D000071656:Receptor, Notch3; D000074562:Receptor, Notch4; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D000072099:Serrate-Jagged Proteins; C064045:delta protein; C001899:triptolide; D008727:Methotrexate