Study On Therapeutic Effect And Mechanism Of Nanxinggutong Gel Paste In Treating Knee Osteoarthritis In Rabbits

Objective1.To assess the therapeutic effect of Nanxinggutong Gel paste which maded under the theory of“Treat Obstinate Arthralgia by removing phlegm”on knee osteoarthritis by comparing the effect between external application of Nanxing Gutong Ointment and Futalin Cream on osteoarthritis of rabbits.2.To examine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Nanxinggutong Gel paste in treating knee osteoarthritis by evaluating its pathological effects on rabbit knee joint fluid,IL-1,TNF-?,MMP-13,TIMP-1 and tissues of the articular cartilage in rabbit knee osteoarthritis induced by papain.Methods24 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups:Nanxinggutong Gel paste external application treatment group(Group A),Futalin Cream external application control group(Group B),model group(Group C)and blank group(Group D),with 6 rabbits in each group.The KOA rabbit model was created(except the blank group)through the knee joint intracavitary injection of papain.Then the rabbits were treated for 4 weeks(28 days).After the treatment period,knee joint fluids and the articular cartilage were extracted to examine the level of IL-1,TNF-?,MMP-13,TIMP-1 and MMP-13,TIMP-1 gene and protein expression in the articular cartilage;pathological section analysis of the knee joint cartilage was also conducted.Results1.Comparison between the groupA?groupB?groupC and groupD after the treatment period of 28 days:statistically significant difference(p<0.05)was observed for levels of IL-1?TNF-??MMP-13?TIMP-1 in the rabbit joint fluids;and statistically significant difference(p<0.05)was also observed among groupA?groupB and groupC;there was no statistically significant difference between groupA and groupB.2.Pathological section analysis of knee joint cartilage of the experimental rabbits showed that external application of Nanxinggutong Gel paste could reduce chondrocyte apoptosis among the experimental rabbits.ConclusionExternal application of Nanxinggutong Gel paste can inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines of IL-1 and TNF-? in joint fluid of knee osteoarthritis,inhibit the expression of MMP-13,increase the expression of TIMP-1,protect the articular cartilage,improve symptoms related to knee osteoarthritis and delay the course of the disease.Its therapeutic effect may be equivalent to Futalin Cream.