Objective

2

To investigate the efficacy and anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of Huoxue ointment on osteoarthritis of the knee caused by knee joint injury in rabbits.

Method

2

A total of 60 big ear white rabbits were selected

with half male and half female. Ten rabbits were randomly selected by weight and set as normal control group. For the remaining rabbits

the injury of articular cartilage and anterior cruciate ligament were caused in the femoral ankle joint surface of the right hind knee joint

so as to establish an animal model of knee osteoarthritis in rabbits. For the normal control group

the skin was cut open and immediately sutured. Two weeks after the operation

rabbits were randomly divided into model control group according to body weight，positive voltaren group (1 cm·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

and high-dose (6 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

medium-dose (3 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

) and low-dose(1.5 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

) Huoxue ointment groups

with 10 animals in each group. Interleukinin-1

β

（IL-1

β

） in rabbit articular cavity fluid and peripheral blood were measured

contents of tumor necrosis factor-

α

（TNF-

α

） and free radical nitric oxide（NO）

rabbit articular cartilage was examined by histopathology

in order to study the efficacy of Huoxue ointment on rabbit knee arthritis. The model of increased permeability of capillaries in abdominal cavity of mice induced by acetic acid and the model of foot swelling of rats induced by carrageenan were used to determine the absorbance of mice peritoneal fluid and the rat foot swelling value

and study the anti-inflammatory effect of huoxue ointment. A total of 120 SPF ICR mice and 60 SD rats were selected

with half male and half female. The mice were randomly divided according to body weight into model control groups

positive Voltaren group (3 cm·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

and high-dose (16 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

medium-dose (8 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

low-dose (4 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

) Huoxue ointment groups，with 12 animals in each group. The rats were randomly divided into the model control group

positive voltaren group (2 cm·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

and high-dose (8 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

medium-dose (4 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

)

low-dose (2 g·kg

-1

·d

-1

) Huoxue ointment groups，with 10 animals in each group.

Result

2

The tested dose of Huoxue ointment，the levels of IL-1

β

TNF-

α

and NO in rabbit serum and joint fluid were decreased to varying degrees

and the effect was significant in the high-dose group (

P

<

0.05). According to the pathological examination

the tested dose of Huoxue ointment

knee cartilage and synovial tissue lesions were significantly lower than those of the model control group (

P

<

0.05)，the value of peritoneal fluid concentration and the foot swelling in medium and high-dose Huoxue ointment groups were significantly lower than those in the model control group (

P

<

0.05). The analgesic effect of tail shaking in mice

and the pain threshold rate of the high-dose Huoxue ointment group were significantly higher than those of the model control group (

P

<

0.05)， the analgesic effect lasted for 4 hours

the foot tenderness of rats in the large and medium-dose Huoxue ointment groups was significantly higher than that in the model control group (

P

<

0.05).

Conclusion

2

Huoxue ointment has obvious joint repair and anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on osteoarthritis of knee caused by knee joint injury in rabbits.