Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Gu Yan Xiao tincture, a blend of traditional Chinese herbs, is traditionally used for osteoarthritis and related pain. This study investigated its mechanism of action in order to rationalize and validate its therapeutic use.
Aim Of The Study: This study analyzed, in a rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis, whether and how Gu Yan Xiao tincture exerts therapeutic benefits by modulating chondrocyte autophagy.
Materials And Methods: The active constituents within the GYX tincture were identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The rabbit model was established by injecting animals with type II collagenase intra-articularly, and the effects of topically applied tincture were examined on osteoarthritis lesions of the knee using histopathology, micro-computed tomography and x-ray imaging. Effects of the tincture were also evaluated on levels of inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteases, and autophagy in chondrocytes. As a positive control, animals were treated with sodium diclofenac.
Results: The tincture mitigated the reduction in joint space, hyperplasia of the synovium and matrix metalloproteases in serum that occurred after injection of type II collagenase in rabbits. These therapeutic effects were associated with inhibition of mTOR and activation of autophagy in articular chondrocytes. Inhibiting mTOR with rapamycin potentiated the therapeutic effects of the tincture, while inhibiting autophagy with 3-methyladenine antagonized them.
Conclusions: Gu Yan Xiao tincture mitigates tissue injury in a rabbit model of osteoarthritis, at least in part by inhibiting mTOR and thereby promoting autophagy in chondrocytes. These results rationalize the use of the tincture not only against osteoarthritis but also potentially other diseases involving inhibition of autophagy in bones and joints.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2024.118095 | DOI Listing |
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Orthopedics & Traumatology of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education Fuzhou 350122, China.
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Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, SAR, China. Electronic address:
As a crucial drug target, KRAS can regulate most cellular processes involving guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis. However, the mechanism of GTP hydrolysis has remained controversial over the past decades. Here, several different GTP hydrolysis mechanisms catalyzed by wild-type KRAS (WT-KRAS) and KRAS mutants were discussed via four QM/MM calculation models.
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Department of Oncology, The Key Laboratory of Biomarker High Throughput Screening and Target Translation of Breast and Gastrointestinal Tumor, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No. 6 Jiefang Street, Dalian, Liaoning, 110006, China. Electronic address:
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address:
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Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Department of Cardiology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, PR China. Electronic address:
As a promising tumor treatment, chemodynamic therapy (CDT) can specifically catalyze HO into the cytotoxic hydroxyl radical (·OH) via Fenton/Fenton-like reaction. However, the limited HO and weakly acidic pH in tumor microenvironment (TME) would severely restrict the therapeutic efficiency of CDT. Here, a weakly acid activated, HO self-supplied, hyaluronic acid (HA)-functionalized Ce/Cu bimetallic nanoreactor (CBPNs@HA) is elaborately designed for complementary chemodynamic-immunotherapy.
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