Therapeutic effect of tripterine on adjuvant arthritis in rats.
June 27th, 2008 | by admin |Therapeutic effect of tripterine on adjuvant arthritis in rats.
Tripterygium wilfordii Hoog f., a perennial vine, is used in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine whether tripterine, isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hoog f., had therapeutic effects on adjuvant arthritis. Adjuvant arthritis (AA) was induced in rats on day 0. Tripterine 5, 10 and 20mgkg(-1)day(-1), or prednisone 10mgkg(-1)day(-1) was given to rats intragastrically from day 19 to day 24. Tripterine significantly inhibited paw swelling and bone destruction in AA rats. Serum level of IgG anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibodies and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis were also decreased by tripterine. The effects of tripterine were associated with decreased interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA expression in ankle joint synovial membrane and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA expression in homogenized paws from adjuvant-induced arthritic rats. These findings suggested that tripterine had a therapeutic effect on adjuvant arthritis.
Li H, Zhang YY, Tan HW, Jia YF, Li D.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.