XU Qi,QIAN Jia-jia,XU Wei-min,et al.Effect of Wenjing Tongluo Decoction on VEGF/VEGFR2/ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in Mice with Knee Osteoarthritis[J].Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae,2021,27(13):28-34.
XU Qi,QIAN Jia-jia,XU Wei-min,et al.Effect of Wenjing Tongluo Decoction on VEGF/VEGFR2/ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in Mice with Knee Osteoarthritis[J].Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae,2021,27(13):28-34. DOI: 10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20211203.
Effect of Wenjing Tongluo Decoction on VEGF/VEGFR2/ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in Mice with Knee Osteoarthritis
To investigate the possible mechanism of Wenjing Tongluo decoction (WTD) in alleviating articular cartilage defect in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and delaying joint degeneration.
Method
2
The KOA model was established by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). Mice were classified into sham-operated group, model group, WTD high-dose and low-dose groups, and positive control group. Four weeks after modeling, WTD groups and the positive control group were given WTD (80, 20 g·kg
-1
) and glucosamine sulfate capsules (0.29 g·kg
-1
), respectively, and the sham-operated group and model group received normal saline of the equivalent volume. After continuous intervention for 4 weeks, hemoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the morphological changes of cartilage and Mankin scoring system was employed to score the knee cartilage. Western blot was combined with Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) to detect the protein and mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor
α
(VEGFA), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 (ADAMTS4).
Result
2
The Mankin score in the model group increased as compared with that in the sham-operated group (
P
<
0.01). Compared with the model group, administration groups demonstrated alleviated articular cartilage defect and low Mankin score (
P
<
0.01), but there was no statistical significance in Mankin score between the WTD groups and positive control group. The protein and mRNA levels of VEGFA, VEGFR2, ERK1/2, and ADAMTS4 in the model group were significantly higher than those in the sham-operated group (
P
<
0.01). The protein expression of VEGFA and ERK1/2 was inhibited in each administration group as compared with that in the model group (
P
<
0.01), and the inhibition in the positive control group was stronger than that in the WTD low-dose group (
P
<
0.05) but weaker than that in the WTD high-dose group (
P
<
0.01). Glucosamine Sulfate capsules suppressed the expression of VEGFR2 and ADAMTS4 to the extent the same with low-dose WTD but weaker than the high-dose WTD (
P
<
0.05).
Conclusion
2
WTD can relieve the articular cartilage injury in KOA mice, and the mechanism may be related to VEGF/VEGFR2/ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
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