The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of curculigoside A (CA) on adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and explore its possible mechanisms. AA was induced by intradermal injection of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). Male SD rats were treated with CA(10 and 20mg/kg) from days 18 to 24 after immunization. The levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in serum were determined by ELISA. Moreover, the levels of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined using commercial kits. In particular, NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-кB pathway were detected by Western blot. As expected, CA at 10 and 20mg/kg significantly relieved the hind paw swelling and arthritis index, reduced the levels of IL-6 IL-1β, PGE2, TNF-α, MDA and increased SOD activity in serum. In addition, CA effectively down-regulated the expression of NF-кB/NLRP3 pathway. These findings showed that CA exerted beneficial effects on rheumatoid arthritis in rats.
Keywords: Arthritis; Curculigoside A; NF-кB; NLRP3.
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