Scutellarin ameliorates cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin and MAPK signaling pathways.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is the basis of cartilage extracellular matrix degeneration and joint inflammation. Scutellarin is an herbal flavonoid glucuronide, isolated from the Chinese traditional herb Erigeron breviscapus, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effect. Here, we showed that Scutellarin could inhibit inflammation and protects cartilage from degeneration in vitro and in vivo. Scutellarin downregulate the mRNA and protein expression of MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS-5, Wnt3a, Frizzled7 and promote the expression of Collagen II and Aggrecan. Moreover, scutellarin inhibit the migration of β-catenin and phosphorylation of p38 into the nucleus, which may relate to the mediation of the Wnt/β-catenin and MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, scutellarin significantly inhibit the cartilage degradation of DMM-induced OA mice by safranin-O and fast green staining. In conclusion, our study indicates that scutellarin may be a potential drug for the treatment of OA.

Liu F ，Li L ，Lu W ，Ding Z ，Huang W ，Li YT ，Cheng C ，Shan WS ，Xu J ，He W ，Zhanghui ，Yin Z ... -  《-》

Xanthan Gum Ameliorates Osteoarthritis and Mitigates Cartilage Degradation via Regulation of the Wnt3a/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Li J ，Han G ，Ma M ，Wei G ，Shi X ，Guo Z ，Li T ，Meng H ，Cao Y ，Liu X ... -  《MEDICAL SCIENCE MONITOR》

Scutellarin suppresses cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis mouse model by inhibiting the NF-κB and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a common and severe disease, is predominantly characterized by cartilage destruction, which results in the degeneration of joint surfaces. Nowadays, it is accepted that TNFα plays a critical role in OA. Scutellarin, the main bioactive flavonoid glycoside extracted form Erigeron breviscapus, has been reported to exert positive effects on anti-inflammatory reactions. However, the effect of scutellarin in OA is still unknown. In this study, we isolated and cultured primary murine chondrocytes, stimulating TNF-α, in the presence or absence of scutellarin treatment. We found that the inflammatory response stimulated by TNF-α was significantly inhibited by the addition of scutellarin. Moreover, we established OA mouse models induced by surgery. In this mouse model, both inflammatory reaction and cartilage degeneration were markedly inhibited by oral administration of scutellarin. Furthermore, the cellular mechanism underlying the protective effect of scutellarin in OA was clearly associated with the NF-κB and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Collectively, this study proposes scutellarin as a potential therapeutic to treat joint degenerative diseases, including OA.

Wang W ，Li J ，Li F ，Peng J ，Xu M ，Shangguan Y ，Li Y ，Zhao Y ，Qiu C ，Qu R ，Li W ，Zhang C ，Zhang T ... -  《-》

Anemonin attenuates osteoarthritis progression through inhibiting the activation of IL-1β/NF-κB pathway.

The osteoarthritis (OA) progression is now considered to be related to inflammation. Anemonin (ANE) is a small natural molecule extracted from various kinds of Chinese traditional herbs and has been shown to inhibiting inflammation response. In this study, we examined whether ANE could attenuate the progression of OA via suppression of IL-1β/NF-κB pathway activation. Destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) was performed in 10-week-old male C57BL/6J mice. ANE was then intra-articularly injected into joint capsule for 8 and 12 weeks. Human articular chondrocytes and cartilage explants challenged with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were treated with ANE. We found that ANE delayed articular cartilage degeneration in vitro and in vivo. In particular, proteoglycan loss and chondrocyte hypertrophy were significantly decreased in ANE -treated mice compared with vehicle-treated mice. ANE decreased the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP13), A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5), collagen X (Col X) while increasing Aggrecan level in murine with DMM surgery. ANE treatment also attenuated proteoglycan loss in human cartilage explants treated with IL-1β ex vivo. ANE is a potent protective molecule for OA; it delays OA progression by suppressing ECM loss and chondrocyte hypertrophy partially by suppressing IL-1β/NF-κB pathway activation.

Wang Z ，Huang J ，Zhou S ，Luo F ，Xu W ，Wang Q ，Tan Q ，Chen L ，Wang J ，Chen H ，Chen L ，Xie Y ，Du X ... -  《-》

Licochalcone A Inhibits MMPs and ADAMTSs via the NF-κB and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathways in Rat Chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease in which cartilage degradation is the central pathological change. In this study, we investigated the anti-osteoarthritic effects of licochalcone A (Lico A) in rat chondrocytes. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were performed to evaluate the expression of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS)-5, ADAMTS-4, collagen II, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and MMP-1 at both the gene and protein levels, respectively. In addition, the wnt/β-catenin and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways were also analyzed by Western blotting. Lico A downregulated ADAMTS-5, ADAMTS-4,MMP-13 and MMP-1 expression, and diminished the IL-1β-induced inhibition of collagen II. In addition, the activation of β-catenin and phosphorylation of p65 and IKKα/β were suppressed by Lico A. Our results suggest that Lico A inhibits MMPs and ADAMTS partly via the NF-κB and wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in rat chondrocytes. Thus, Lico A may have therapeutic effects in OA.

Chen WP ，Hu ZN ，Jin LB ，Wu LD ... -  《-》