Low Back Pain Capsule Osteoarthritis Cartilage Protection Mechanism

Osteoarthritis(OA), a disease commonly occurred in old peoples, is also calledretrogressive arthritis, and it is an arthropathy caused by the degeneration of cartilagefollowed by the proliferation and ossification of adjacent cartilage. In previous studies,more emphasis was laid on the cartilage matrix. With further studies on its pathogenesis,it is gradually found that the injury of cartilage, especially the disbalance between theapoptosis and proliferation of cartilage mainly contributes to the mechanism. Therefore, thestudy on OA should be shifted to research the cartilage cells. In this study, we will explorethe protective effects of Yaotongshu Capsule against OA and its mechanism.Objective1.Theoretical studies: To explore the pathogenesis characteristics of OA.2. Experimental studies: To observe the protective effects of Yaotongshu Capsule againstOA, and explore the mechanism on the basis of the apoptosis and proliferation of cartilage.Method1. The characteristics of syndrome and pathogenesis of OA in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) were analysed and summarized on the basis of ancient physicians' knowledge ofarthralgia.2. According to Hulth's method, the early and intermediate rat models of OA of knee, namely2-month model and 5-month model, were simulated respectively. The model rats were treatedwith intragastric injection of low and middle dosages of Yaotongshu Capsule, respectively.Two months later, the rats were killed, and the samples were removed for naked observationand X-ray radiography. The cartilage of medial tibial plateau and femoral condyle was removedrespectively. The integrals of cartilage tissue, apoptosis rate, ultrastructure of cartilagesurface and the distribution of type Ⅱcollagen were observed with optical microscope,scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, flow cytometry andimmunohistochemistry. The expression of P53 protein, Bcl-2 protein, proliferative cellnucleus antigen (PCNA) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) together with the levelsof nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were assayed.Thus, the mechanism of Yaotongshu Capsule was explored.3. The effects of Yaotongshu Capsule on the apoptosis, proliferation and anabolism ofchondrocytes was investigated with in vitro culture system of chondrocytes.3.1 The apoptosis of chondrocyte was induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and TNF-αrespectively, then the effects of Yaotongshu Capsule-containing serum on the chondrocyteapoptosis was observed. The chondrocyte apoptosis was quantitatively and qualitatively英文摘要 5detected by using Annexin V/PI and transmission electron microscope.3.2 The effect of Yaotongshu Capsule on the proliferation of normally cultured chondrocyteswas observed by MTT assayed.3.3 The DNA content and the synthesis of collagen and proteoglycan were detected by isotope3H-TdR, H-Pro and S-Na2SO4 incorporation, thus the effects of Yaotongshu Capsule on anabolism3 35of chondrocytes were observed.Results1. The main pathogenesis characteristics of OA were kidney-deficiency andcollateral-obstruction in TCM.2. Yaotongshu Capsule, a traditional Chinese prescription for reinforcing the kidney andremoving obstruction in the collaterals, had protective effects against retrogressivedegeneration of the chondrocyte in OA. By comparatively analysing the appearance, X-rayradiography, histological scores, the surface structure of cartilage and the distributionof collagen in groups treated with different dosage of Yaotongshu Capsule and Zhuanggu GuanjiePill, it was found that the articular cartilage of 2-month model rats lost normal brightness,and became yellow. There were a few erosive spots on the surface of cartilage. The synoviumaround cartilage surface was proliferative. The joints of 5-month model rats became swollen.The cartilage lost normal brightness, and became yellow, and its color became faint. Thesurface of cartilage was irregular. The...