Experimental Study Of Intra-articular Astragalus Injection For The Treatment Of Osteoarthritis In Rabbits

Objective:To examine the effect of intra-articular Astragalus injection on cartilage degeneration,chondrocyte apoptosis and the activity of SOD and the content of MDA in synovium and articular douche fluid in rabbit ACLT model of osteoarthritis.METHODS:Selected 24 adult Japanese white rabbits were randomly assigned into 3 groups:normal control group,model control group and Astragalus treatment group with 8 ones in each group. ACLT model of osteoarthritis was induced in 16 rabbits of model control group and Astragalus treatment group. The rabbits in the Astragalus treatment group were treated with intra-articular injection of 0.3ml Astragalus once a week for six consecutive weeks since 1 week after ACLT. The rabbits in the model control group were treated with intra-articular injection of 0.3 ml normal saline at the same time. The rabbits in the normal group were not injected. AIl the knees were harvested at 7 weeks post surgery.Cartilage degradation of femoral condy1es was evaluated at the following two levels:macroscopic and light microscopic. The chondrocyte apoptosis was detected by TUNEL technique.The content of SOD and MDA in synovium and articular douche fluid was detected.RESULTS: Macroscopic score and Mankin's score of cartilage degradation were apoptosis was significantly lower in the Astra significantly lower than those in the model control group(P<0.05). The number of chondrocyte galus treatment group than in the model control group(P<0.05). The comparison of the activity of SOD and the content of MDA in synovium and articular douche fluid: the activity of SOD in the Astragalus treatment group was significantly higher than that in the model control group(P<0.05), and the content of MDA was significantly lower than that in the model control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Astragalus can significantly reduce the severity of cartilage degradation, reduce the number of chondrocyte apoptosis, increase the activity of SOD and reduce the content of MDA in synovium and articular douche fluid. SO Astragalus has therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis, it would be a potential drug for the treatment of OA.