Effects of Jakyakkamchobuja-tang (芍藥甘草附子湯) on Papain-induced
Osteoarthritis in Mice

Lee, Jung-Min; Hong, Seo-Young; Oh, Min-Seok; Lee, Jung-Min; Hong, Seo-Young; Oh, Min-Seok

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

J Korean Med. 2013;34(1): 116-135.

Effects of Jakyakkamchobuja-tang (芍藥甘草附子湯) on Papain-induced Osteoarthritis in Mice

Jung-Min Lee, Seo-Young Hong, and Min-Seok Oh

Dept. of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon University

Corresponding Author: Min-Seok Oh ,Tel: +82-42-470-9424, Email: ohmin@dju.ac.kr

Received: October 15, 2012; Accepted: January 7, 2012.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study was intended to clarify how Jakyakkamchobuja-tang (hereinafter referred to JKBT) affects mice of C57BL/10 whose osteoarthritis was induced by papain.
Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced in mice by injecting papain in the knee joint. Mice were divided into 4 groups (n=6). The normal group were not treated at all whereas the control group (OAC-control) were induced for osteoarthritis by papain and oral medicated with 200 ul of physiological saline per day. The positive comparison group (OAC-Joins®) were injected with papain and after 7 days, 100 mg/kg of Joins® were medicated with 200 ul of physiological saline mixed. The experimental group (OAC-JKBT) were injected with papain and after 7 days were medicated with 400 mg/kg of JKBT mixed with 200 ul of physiological saline. OAC-Joins® and OAC-JKBT were oral medicated for each substance for a total of 4 weeks, once per day. After experiments (from 1 week after injection of papain to 4 weeks elapsed), the function of liver and kidney, inflammation cytokine values within serum, degree of revelation for inflammation cytokine genes, immune cells within blood, metabolism of arachidonic acid and amount of cartilage were measured and histopathological variations for knee joint structures were observed.
Results: Functions of liver and kidney were not affected. IL-1β (interleukin-1β), MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) were significantly reduced and IL-6 (interleukin-6) was also reduced but not significantly. After analyzing inflammation cytokine in joints with mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid), revelation of IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) and iNOS-Ⅱ (inducible nitric oxide synthase-Ⅱ) were all significantly reduced. Revelation of IL-1β gene was also reduced but not significantly. Neutrophil for WBC (white blood cell) within serum was significantly reduced; monocyte was also reduced but not significantly. PGE2 (prostaglandin E2), TXB2 (thromboxane B2) were significantly reduced and LTB4 (leukotriene B4) was also reduced but not significantly. Destruction of cartilage on micro CT (computed tomography)-arthrography was reduced but had no significant differences. In terms of histopathology, infiltration of inflammation, proliferation of synovial membrane, subsidence of cartilage and bone due to penetration of excessive formation of synovial cell and destruction of cartilage were small (H&E (hematoxylin and eosin), safranine O staining).
Conclusions: Based on these results, Jakyakkamchobuja-tang (JKBT) is believed to be useful for suppressing the progress of osteoarthritis and its treatments because of its anti-inflammatory effects and alleviation of pain with histopathological effective efficacy.