The Effect ofErycibe Obtusifolia Benth on the Synovial Inflammation and Threshold of Pain in KOA Rats

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect ofErycibe obtusifolia Benthon on synovial inflammation and threshold of pain in KOA rats. METHODS 30 SPF SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group andErycibe obtusifolia Benthon group. The KOA model was constructed by ACLT. After modeling，Erycibe obtusifolia Benthon was applied inErycibe obtusifolia Benthon group for 28 days. The cold pain threshold and mechanical withdrawal threshold in each group were measured before modeling and on the 7th， 14th， 21th， 28th， 35th and 42th day after modeling. After the final administration， blood was collected from the abdominal aorta， DRG and synovial tissues of each group were extracted. Synovitis was observed by HE staining; then IL-1β， TNF-α， TRPA1 and TRPV4 protein and gene expression in synovial tissues and DRG were detected by Western blot and PCR. RESULTS HE staining showed that inflammatory cell infiltration in theErycibe obtusifolia Benthon group significantly reduced compared with the model group， and the arrangement was relatively regular. The cold pain threshold and the mechanical withdrawal threshold in the model group were significantly lower than those of the normal group (P<0.01)， and the thresholds in theErycibe obtusifolia Benthon group were significantly higher than those in the model group (P<0.01). The levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， TRPA1 and TRPV4 protein and gene expressed in the model group were significantly higher than those in the normal group (P<0.05，P<0.01). The levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， TRPA1 and TRPV4 protein and gene expression in theErycibe obtusifolia Benthon group were significantly lower than those in the model group (P<0.05，P<0.01). CONCLUSION Erycibe obtusifolia Benthon can inhibit synovitis inflammation and relieve the cold pain threshold and mechanical withdrawal threshold in KOA rats.