Effects Of Fuyuan Capsule On Free Radicals Metabolism And IGF-I/IGFBP-3 In Rabbits With Knee Osteoarthritis

ObjectiveTo study the effects of Fu Yuan capsule on total superoxide dismutases (T-SOD) and malondialdehyde(MDA) in serum and joint fluid, on insulin-like growth factor I(IGF-I)and insulin-like growth factor binding protein3(IGFBP-3) in cartilage of rabbits with knee osteoarthritis.Methods48 healthy New Zealand big rabbits composed of male and female in equal were randomly divided into normal group, model group, Glucosamine Hydrochloride group and three different dosage Fu Yuan capsule groups, each group 8. The right hind limbs of all model rabbits were fixed by plaster cast in the straight situation. After one week, Drug groups were respectively fed with Glucosamine Hydrochloride and three different dosage of Fu Yuan capsule one times daily for six weeks. The rabbits in Glucosamine Hydrochloride group were gived 90mg.kg^-1.d^-1,in Fu Yuan capsule low doses group gived 1350 mg.kg^-1.d^-1,in Fu Yuan capsule middle dose group gived 2700 mg.kg^-1.d^-1, in Fu Yuan capsule high dose group gived 5400 mg.kg^-1.d^-1. The rabbits in normal group and model group were fed conventionally.The pathological changes of cartilage were evaluated according to morphology score and Mankin 's scoreT-SOD was determined by means of the hydroxylamine hydrochloride method, while MDA was measured by thiobarbituric acid method.T-SOD and MDA light density were detected by microplate reader, then the vitality of T-SOD and the concentration of MDA were calculated.The expression levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in cartilage were detected through Immunohistochemistry.The positive cells fraction and tinctorialstrength were used by scoring method to measure the expression levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3.Results①Compared with normal group, morphology score and Mankin 's score in model group were significantly low(P <0.01).②compared with normal group, in the model group T-SOD vitality was decreased and MDA concentration was increased in serum and joint fluid(P <0.01).③Compared with model group, T-SOD vitality was increased, while MDA concentration was decreased markedly in serum and joint fluid in Fu Yuan Capsule groups (P<0.05).④Fu Yuan Capsule high dose group was compared with the low dose group,middle dose group and Glucosamine Hydrochloride group, in serum and joint fluid T-SOD vitality was increased, MDA concentration was decreased markedly (P<0.05).⑤Total score of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 expression in model group were obviously higher than those in normal group(P<0.01).⑥Compared with model group, in Fu Yuan Capsule groups especially high dose group the total score of IGF-I levels was increased (P<0.05),while that of IGFBP-3 levels was decreased significantly (P<0.01).⑦Total score of IGF-I expression in Fu Yuan Capsule middle dose group and high dose group was higher than that in Glucosamine Hydrochloride group(P<0.05),while total score of IGFBP-3 expression was obviously lower(P<0.01).Conclusions①The results show that the articular cartilage of rabbits fixed by plaster cast in the straight situation about six weeks shows the characteristics of knee osteoarthritis pathological changes②Fu Yuan Capsule could dose-dependently increase T-SOD vitality, reduce concentrations of MDA in serum and joint fluid of rabbits with osteoarthritis, inhibit overproduction of oxygen free radical, delay cartilage pathological degeneration, play an important role in the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis. ③Fu Yuan Capsule could enhance the expression of IGF-I and descend the expression of IGFBP-3 in cartilage of rabbits with knee osteoarthritis, mediated cartilage cell proliferation, promote matrix proteins polysaccharide synthesis, plays a role in the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis.