Effects of Prunus Tomentosa Thumb Total Flavones on adjuvant arthritis in rats and regulation of autophagy.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a slow in taking effect systemic autoimmune disease. Prunus Tomentosa Thumb Total Flavones (PTTTF) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The purpose of this study is to the PTTTF on adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats and to explore the mechanism of autophagy. Adjuvant arthritis model was established in rats. The cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) of rat synovial tissue were determined by RT-PCR. The histopathological varieties of knee joints in AA rats were observed by HE staining. The expressions of autophagy-related proteins ATG5, ATG7, ATG12, Beclin1, Lc3II and Bcl-2 in rat synovial tissue were determined by Western Blotting. PTTTF (50, 100, 200mg/kg) significantly inhibited inflammation in rats (P< 0.01). PTTTF significantly inhibited inflammatory factor COX in rat synovial tissue. COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α expression (P< 0.05); PTTTF can significantly improve the pathological damage of rat knee joint PTTTF and can significantly inhibited the expression of autophagy-related proteins in rat synovium (P< 0.05 ). PTTTF can inhibit adjuvant arthritis in rats and can inhibit the expression of autophagy-related proteins ATG5, ATG7, ATG12, Beclin1, Lc3II and Bcl-2.