BACKGROUND

Securidaca inappendiculata (SI) is a traditional antirheumatic medicine used in China. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of dichloromethane fraction of SI (SID) at three different doses on adjuvant induced arthritis (AA) rats.

METHODS

Arthritis severity was evaluated by arthritic score, body weight loss, paw circumference, histological changes and hyperplasia of lymphatic tissues. Serum samples were collected for estimation of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), hydroxy radical (OH·), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG), sialic acid (SA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). The levels of GSH, MDA, NAG and SA in liver were also assessed. The levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were determined using ELISA method. Another portion of blood was used for total and differential leucocyte counts.

RESULTS

Administration with SID (at high dose with 100 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the AA severity, suggested by the modulatory effects on body weight loss, paw swelling, hyperplasia of lymphatic tissues and synovial membrane, neutrocytosis and lymphocytosis. It also decreased levels of NO, MDA and OH·, restored SOD and GSH levels in serum. The abnormal increased levels of AST, ALT, ALP, NAG and SA significantly were reverted (compared with AA rats, P<0.01). A similar result was observed in livers. Levels of IL-1, TNF-α, MCP-1 and VEGF were reduced dramatically by SID too.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest SID possesses substantial anti-arthritic activity. The therapeutic efficacy may be due to immumodepressive effects, cytokines regulation, increasing membrane stability and antioxidantive activity.