ABSTRACT
The study is designed to evaluate the protective effect of xanthan gum (XG) injection on cartilage injury in the rabbit osteoarthritis (OA) model induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT), and to explore the effect of XG on the expression of caspase-3 and Bax protein in OA cartilage. Sixty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10) according to random number table method, and one group was selected randomly as the normal control group (control) while the other 5 groups of right knee were used to establish the OA model with ACLT, which were then divided into model group (model), XG-0.6 mg·kg-1, XG-1.2 mg·kg-1, XG-2.4 mg·kg-1 treatment group and sodium hyaluronate (SH-1.2 mg·kg-1) treatment group according to drug intervention. The knee joint temperature and knee joint width of each group were measured in the course of treatment. After treatment, the macroscopic morphology of rabbit joints in each group was observed. The pathological morphology of articular cartilage of rabbits in each group was observed using HE staining. The expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in the cartilage of rabbits were detected by Western blot. The result shows that XG inhibited the increase in knee joint temperature and knee width caused by OA in a dose-dependent manner. XG improved the morphological abnormalities and tissue injuries of the femoral condyle and tibial plateau caused by OA. Western blot result shows that, compared with the control group, the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in knee cartilage cells of model group and XG-0.6 mg·kg-1 group were significantly increased (P-1 group (P>0.05). These two groups are significantly higher than those of XG-1.2 mg·kg-1 and XG-2.4 mg·kg-1 (P-1 and XG-1.2 mg·kg-1 group (P>0.05). The level of Bax in knee cartilage in XG-2.4 mg·kg-1 group was lower than that of XG-1.2 mg·kg-1 group (P<0.05). In conclusion, XG effectively protected cartilage damage in OA, and inhibited the expression of Bax and caspase-3 protein in OA cartilage.
ABSTRACT
AIM@#To study the minor diterpenes from the soft coral Sinularia depressa@*METHOD@#The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques, and the chemical structures, including absolute configuration, were established on the basis of detailed analysis of spectroscopic data and by literature comparison with the data of related known compounds.@*RESULTS@#A new casbane-type diterpene, 2-epi-10-hydroxydepressin (1), was isolated and identified.@*CONCLUSION@#Compound 1 is a new casbane-type diterpene.
Subject(s)
Animals , Anthozoa , Chemistry , Diterpenes , Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring , Hexamethonium , Spectrum AnalysisABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the knee osteoarthritis (OA) models in rabbits by different concentrations of papain and provide data for exploring pathogenesis and treatments of this disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups of 15 each and given injections into the right knee on days 1, 3 and 5 including intra-articular injections of 2%, 5% or 10% (w/v) papain and 0.03 mol/L L-cysteine at the dose of 0.1 ml/kg (experimental groups). The 0.9% NaCl (w/v) with a dose of 0.1 ml/kg were injected intra-articularly into the right knees of rabbits in the control group. The rabbits were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6 weeks respectively after the initiation of papain injection and these OA models were evaluated through recording the width of knee joint, performing the morphological observation and histological evaluation of articular cartilage and synovium.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The degenerative changes were demonstrated in knee joints of rabbit in all experimental groups, such as thinner articular cartilage, fibrillation and destroyed cartilage matrix, and inflammation, proliferation, and degeneration of the synovial tissue. All these changes were much worse with increased concentration and prolonged observation time.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Different severity of OA are established through intra-articular injections of 2%, 5% or 10% papain and 0.03 mol/L L-cysteine at the dose of 0.1 ml/kg. These models are of the characters of short period and a good reproducibility.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rabbits , Disease Models, Animal , Osteoarthritis, Knee , Pathology , Papain , ToxicityABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Ray cartilage glycosaminoglycans (RCG) on the expression of MMP-9 in Lewis lung carcinoma of mice.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The model of mice with Lewis lung carcinoma was induced. The experimental mice were randomly divided into normal saline group, RCG groups at varied concentrations and CTX group. Tumor growth state was observed, and tumor inhibitory rate of primary tumor and number of lung metastasis focus were measured. The expression of MMP-9 mRNA and protein in Lewis lung carcinoma was determined with RT-PCR and Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>As compared with normal saline group, tumor growth curves in RCG groups were smooth, there were significant differences of inhibitory rates of primary tumor and number of lung metastasis focus between RCG groups and normal saline group, and MMP-9 mRNA and protein expression levels in RCG groups were reduced significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RCG can inhibit effectively the growth and metastasis of implanted Lewis lung carcinoma in C57BL/6 mice, which is probably attributed to reducing the expression of MMP-9 mRNA and protein.</p>