Study of Therapeutic Effects and Mechanisms of Ultrasound Phoresis Compound Sanqi Xiaotong Paste for Treatment Knee Osteoarthritis in Rabbits

Abstract：Objective:Observing the theraputic effects and studying the mechanisms of US phoresis Compound Sanqi Xiaotong Paste in KOA rabbits.Methods:Four month old,40 white New Zealand rabbits,were randomly divided into US phoresis Compound Sanqi Xiaotong Paste (A group),normal US (B group),ShuJinZhiTong water local external pat (C group),sham normal US (D group) and nornal controls (E group) groups.All were subjected to double knee anterior cruciate ligament abscise (ACLA) except E group,each group included 8 rabbits.Six weeks after surgery,A,B,C,D group (surgical knee joint) were interrupted with US phoresis Compound Sanqi Xiaotong Paste,normal US,ShuJinZhiTong water local external pat,sham normal US for 8 min per day for 10 days (5 days after exposure,stopping 2 days,continue,exposure 5 days),respectively.After 10 days intervention,all rabbits were sacrificed by air injection.The cartilaginous tissue was stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and observed chondrocyte morphology by light microscopy and Mankin's score were counted.Chondrocytes apoptosis were detected by TUNEL.Incide tibia1 plate full-thickness cartilage for apotposis gene of caspase-9 and caspase-3,measurement the protein content by Western-Blot in chondrocyte.Results The Mankin scores in A groups was significantly lower than B,C,D groups,and significantly higher than E group.The apoptosis of chondrocytes and the caspase-9,caspase-3 protien expression in A groups were significantly lower than B,C,D groups,and significantly higher than E group.Conclusions US phoresis Compound Sanqi Xiaotong Paste can regress cartilage apomorphosis for treatment OA,and superior to the general US interruption.It downregulated the expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3 protien in chondrocyte,which it may be the theraputic signal molecules.