title: [Up-regulations of Bax and caspase-3 and down-regulation of Bcl-2 after Xinfeng capsule treatment in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of Xinfeng capsule (XFC) treatment on the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 in the synovium tissues of the adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) rats and explore the possible mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, XFC (1.5, 3.0, 6.0 g/kg) groups and 40 mg/kg tripterygium glycosides tablet (TGT) group, with 10 rats in each group. Arthritis rat was induced by intracutaneous innoculation of 0.1 mL Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) in the left paw. XFC at different doses and TGT, diluted in water, were administrated via gavage, once a day from the 19th day to the 48th day after AA induction. The normal and model rats were orally administered the same volume of saline solution. Then, ankle-joint samples were taken to examine the degree of AA by HE staining. Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 mRNA expressions were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, XFC treatment improved histopathological changes, such as synovial hyperplaisia, pannus formation, and so on. Furthermore, XFC (3.0 and 6.0 g/kg) groups not only obviously attenuated mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2, but also obviously up-regulated the expressions of Bax and caspase-3 both at protein and mRNA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  XFC has a protective effect on AA rats, which might be partly associated with its regulatory role in decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and promoting the expressions of Bax and caspase-3.
authors.affiliation: First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui university of TCM, Grade 3 Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, State Administration of TCM, Modern Chinese Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Application Foundation Research and Development Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China; College of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui university of TCM, Grade 3 Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, State Administration of TCM, Modern Chinese Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Application Foundation Research and Development Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China. *Corresponding author, E-mail:liujianahzy@163.com.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui university of TCM, Grade 3 Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, State Administration of TCM, Modern Chinese Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Application Foundation Research and Development Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China.
authors.forename: Jiarong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui university of TCM, Grade 3 Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, State Administration of TCM, Modern Chinese Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Application Foundation Research and Development Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui university of TCM, Grade 3 Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, State Administration of TCM, Modern Chinese Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Application Foundation Research and Development Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China.
authors.forename: Xiujuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: First Hospital Affiliated to Anhui university of TCM, Grade 3 Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, State Administration of TCM, Modern Chinese Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Application Foundation Research and Development Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C533622:xinfeng; D053148:Caspase 3