Effect of warming yang and benefiting marrow recipe on the expression of collagen type II and proteoglycans in the articular cartilage

Jing Lin; Guo Zhi-kun; Zhang Hong-mei; He Ming-jiang; Shan Peng-cheng

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2015.24.006

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Col agen type II and proteoglycan loss are two most obvious manifestations of cartilage damage in the onset of osteoarthritis. Changes in col agen type II and proteoglycan as the main components of cartilage matrix directly lead to cartilage degeneration and subsequently result in osteoarthritis. How to reverse or prevent the development of this process becomes the focus of medical research. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of warming yang and benefiting marrow recipe on the expression of col agen type II and proteoglycan in the articular cartilage of knee osteoarthritis rabbits as wel as to further explore the mechanism underlying chondrocyte protection. METHODS:Ninety-six New Zealand rabbits, aged 9 months old, male and female, were selected to prepare osteoarthritis models in extension position using cast immobilization method, and were randomly divided into four groups:blank group (untreated), model group (simple modeling), Chinese medicine group (intragastric administration of extracts of warming yang and benefiting marrow recipe, 24 mL/kg/d) and western medicine group (intragastric administration of glucosamine hydrochloride, 24 mL/kg/d). Intragastric administration was done once a day for 6 weeks. RT-PCR technology was used to observe the effect of warming yang and benefiting marrow recipe on the expression of col agen type II and proteoglycans in the articular cartilage, and pathological examination was also done. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The cartilage surface was smooth in the blank group and Chinese medicine group, with uniform toluidine blue staining, but in the model group and western medicine group, the cartilage surface was rough and the toluidine blue staining was extremely uneven with obvious loss of surface and middle layer dying. The expressions of cartilage proteoglycan and col agen type II in the model group were significantly lower than those in the blank group (P<0.01) as wel as in the Chinese medicine group and western medicine group (P<0.05). In addition, the expressions of cartilage proteoglycan and col agen type II in the Chinese medicine group were higher than those in the western medicine group (P<0.05). These findings indicate that the recipe of warming yang and benefiting marrow can enhance the expressions of col agen type II and proteoglycan, which can maintain the normal col agen phenotype and protect the articular cartilage.