Stem of Hedl. Extract Inhibits Cartilage Degradation and Arthritic Pain in Experimental Model via Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widespread joint disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Conventional treatments for OA, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids, have a risk of various adverse events, including liver, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and kidney disease, which are unsatisfactory in their effectiveness. In this study, Hedl. Stem extracts (SCE) were evaluated in animal models as potential inhibitors for the progression of OA. Hedl., which was found to have substantial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in earlier investigations, has shown potential as a candidate for OA treatment. To mimic human OA symptoms, male rats were injected using sodium iodoacetate (MIA) in their knee joints. SCE significantly reduced MIA-induced weight-bearing loss in rats after the MIA injection and alleviated cartilage degradation and subchondral bone injury caused by MIA. In addition, SCE administration reduced levels of TNF-α and IL-1β such as pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum, as well as the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) such as MMP-1, -3, -8 and -13 in the joint cartilage. SCE significantly inhibited the writhing responses in acetic acid-administered mice and was used to quantify pain. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7, SCE suppressed NO production and reduced the expression of TNF-α, PGE2, IL-6, IL-1β, MMP1, MMP3, MMP8, and MMP-13. Our study showed that SCE alleviated inflammation and cartilage degradation in arthritis through its anti-inflammatory activities on multiple targets.