Effects of an aqueous extract of Eucommia on articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis of the knee

  • Authors:
    • Hai Lu
    • Jianming Jiang
    • Guoping Xie
    • Wengang Liu
    • Guangbin Yan
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  • Published online on: July 15, 2013     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2013.1223
  • Pages: 684-688
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Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a common chronic and progressively degenerative joint condition. The stem bark of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (a member of the Eucommiaceae family), which is also known as Du-Zhong, is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of Eucommia in the treatment of arthritis of the knee require further study. The present study investigated the effects of an aqueous extract of Eucommia on the articular cartilage (by Mankin's grade) and the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP‑3 and MMP‑13 in the serum and synovial fluid in a rat model of osteoarthritis. The serum levels of MMP-1, -3 and -13 were measured by double-antibody sandwich enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at weeks 1, 2 and 4. The levels of MMP‑1, -3 and 13 were significantly decreased in the rats treated with Eucommia compared with those in the control rats (P<0.05). Histopathological examination results indicated a lower Mankin's grade in the Eucommia group compared with that of the control rats. Therefore, Eucommia was demonstrated to have a cartilage‑protecting effect in rats with osteoarthritis, potentially by improving cartilage metabolism, regulating the degradation of the extracellular matrix of the articular cartilage, and inhibiting apoptosis in chondrocytes, thereby slowing down joint degeneration.
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September 2013
Volume 6 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Lu H, Jiang J, Xie G, Liu W and Yan G: Effects of an aqueous extract of Eucommia on articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis of the knee. Exp Ther Med 6: 684-688, 2013
APA
Lu, H., Jiang, J., Xie, G., Liu, W., & Yan, G. (2013). Effects of an aqueous extract of Eucommia on articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis of the knee. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 6, 684-688. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2013.1223
MLA
Lu, H., Jiang, J., Xie, G., Liu, W., Yan, G."Effects of an aqueous extract of Eucommia on articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis of the knee". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 6.3 (2013): 684-688.
Chicago
Lu, H., Jiang, J., Xie, G., Liu, W., Yan, G."Effects of an aqueous extract of Eucommia on articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis of the knee". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 6, no. 3 (2013): 684-688. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2013.1223