AUTHOR=Guowei Gong , Yuzhong Zheng , Xuan Zhou , Zhi Dai , Juanhui Duan , Jing Wang , Peikui Yang , Xiangzhi Liu , Zhen Wen TITLE=Zhuanggu Guanjie herbal formula mitigates osteoarthritis via the NF-κB transduction mechanism JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.896397 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.896397 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=
The Zhuanggu Guanjie herbal formula has been a famous Chinese prescription for treating bone diseases since time immemorial. The anti-osteoarthritis (OA) properties of this botanical prescription are well documented in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, the detailed mechanisms behind the phenomenon have not been elucidated. Hence, we aimed to investigate the anti-OA efficacy of the Zhuanggu Guanjie herbal formula and its underlying mechanism. The anti-OA properties of Zhuanggu Guanjie capsule (ZGC) were determined by the cytokine contents and inflammatory-related proteins, which were measured by RT-PCR, flow cytometry, Western blot, and laser confocal assay in ATDC5 cells. The levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and prostaglandin synthesis E2 have been markedly reduced after being treated with ZGC for 48 h in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, ZGC prevented the translocation of NF-κB from the cytosol to the nucleus. On the other hand, we used the mono-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA model to confirm the