ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the effects of medicated permeation with traditional Chinese medicine Shujin-Zhitong liquid combined with ion tophoresis on osteoarthritis(OA) of rabbit knee joint in vivo.Methods The modified Hulth OA model was prepared with rabbits by anterior cruciate ligament desmotomy plus medial meniscus resection.Twenty-four model rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: Chinese medicine group: treated with Chinese medicine Shujin-Zhitong liquid by ion tophoresis for 20 minutes per day;positive control group: glucosamine hydrochloride was administered orally per day;blank control group: no treatment was administered to the model rabbits.Serum nitrogen monoxidum(NO) concentration was determined at the time points of prior model making,prior treatment,and 4 and 8 weeks of treatment.At 4 and 8 weeks of treatment,the apoptotic rate of chondrocytes was determined by flow cytometry,and the gene expressions of collagen Ⅱand aggrecan were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results The contents of serum NO in Chinese medicine group and positive control group were lower than that in blank control group at 4 weeks after treatment,and the content of serum NO in Chinese medicine group was lower than those in positive control group and blank control group at 8 weeks after treatment.The apoptotic rates in Chinese medicine group and positive control group were lower than that in blank control group at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment.Gene expression levels of collagen Ⅱ and aggrecan in Chinese medicine group and positive control group were higher than that in blank control group at 4 weeks after treatment,while the gene expression level in Chinese medicine group was higher than those in positive and blank control groups at 8 weeks after treatment.Conclusions The treatment of medicated permeation with traditional Chinese medicine Shujin-Zhitong liquid combined with ion tophoresis has shown good therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis(OA) of rabbit knee joint,the mechanism might be the inhibition of chondrocytes apoptosis and reduced secretion of inflammatory factors,and the improvement of cartilage repair by up-regulating related gene expression of chondrocyte.