Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. Wasp venom (WV), which is considered as a traditional folk medicine in Jingpo nationality in Yunnan, China, relieves rheumatoid arthritis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of wasp venom ameliorating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in experimental rats. We established a model of type II collagen- (CII-) induced arthritis (CIA) in SD rats and examined the inhibition of inflammation and autoimmune response. The antiarthritic effects of WV were evaluated through the paw swelling, and histopathological score and histopathology changes of the affected paw were assessed. The anti-inflammation effects were assayed by the level of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and the number of inflammatory cells in peripheral blood. The alteration of the T cell subset ratio in the spleen of rats was detected by flow cytometry, and at the same time, the viscera index and immune serum globulin levels were evaluated. The results suggested that various doses of WV (0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly alleviated paw swelling and arthritis score in CIA rats with the untreated control (P < 0.05). WV (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) relieved synovial tissue lesions of ankle joints and histopathology scores of synoviocyte hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration with vehicle group (P < 0.05). Regarding immunological regulation, 0.5 mg/kg WV lowered the immune serum globulin levels (P < 0.05), and we further found that WV (0.5 mg/kg) suppressed the immune response of Th cells, while enhancing the functions of Tc cells and Treg cells in spleen cells markedly (P < 0.05). The immunosuppressive action of WV displayed was analogous to its inhibitory effect on IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, COX-2, and PGE2 levels in rat serum. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that WV exhibited antiarthritic activity, which might be associated with their inhibitory effects on immunoregulation and anti-inflammatory action.
Highlights
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can progress to systemic complications, physical disabilities, and even early death [1]
Wasp venom (WV) Relieved the Symptom of Arthritis in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) Rats. e arthritic symptoms were successfully induced in rats by injecting type II collagen as instructed, which embodied in significant macroscopic signs of severe redness and swelling in the secondary paw and ankle joint of CIA rats in Figure1(a), if compared with the healthy control group. e ankle joint thickness and perimeter were apparently increased in vehicles on day 14 (Figure 1(b)) compared with those in controls; they were strikingly decreased after Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) and all WV treated groups on day 28 in comparison with those of the model group (Figure 1(b))
When we measured the thickness and perimeter of ankle joints in both the inflammatory foot and secondary foot, the obvious swelling subsidence was shown based on the data (Figure 1(b)). e results of the swelling degree indicated that WV could control paw edema and relieve the secondary inflammation on the paw and ankle joint corresponding to the TwHF effect
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can progress to systemic complications, physical disabilities, and even early death [1]. Hyperplasia of the synovial cells, chronic inflammation of the synovium, and the destruction of cartilage and bone are the main characteristics of RA. The synergistic effects of T cells, B cells, and proinflammatory cytokines play key roles in the pathophysiological process [2]. When CD4+ T cells are activated, they produce proinflammatory cytokines that enhance the immune response by stimulating other mononuclear cells, synovial fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and osteoclasts. Folate analogue methotrexate (MTX), as an NSAID, was approved by the FDA for RA in 1988 [4]. It has become the most widely used in the treatment of RA due to its immunosuppressive activity, anti-
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