Morin Exerts Anti-osteoarthritic Properties: An In Vitro And In Vivo Study

Objective:Morin shows anti-oxidative, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects and may be useful in many clinical applications. The effects of morin on articular cartilage metabolism remain unknown, so this study was performed to evaluate these effects in vitro and in vivo.Methods:For the in vitro work, rat articular chondrocytes were cultured in a monolayer and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3),-13 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) expression was evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR and western-blot. We also examined the effects of morin on MAPK phosphorylation. For the in vivo work, morin was orally administered to rats after anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT).Results:Morin inhibited the expression of MMP-3,-13 and increased the expression of TIMP-1 in IL-1β-induced rat chondrocytes. In addition, morin inhibited IL-1β-induced phosphorylation of ERK and p38. The in vivo study in a rat model of OA showed that morin suppressed cartilage degradation.Conclusions:These findings suggest that morin may play a protective role in the development of O A and may be useful in the treatment of OA.