RESUMO
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease characterized by articular cartilage destruction, bone destruction and synovial hyperplasia. It has been suggested that Vigeo, a mixture of Eleutherococcus senticosus, Achyranthes japonica and Atractylodes japonica fermented with Korean nuruk, has an anti-osteoporotic effect in a mouse model of inflammation-mediated bone loss. The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of Vigeo in RA using a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model. DBA/1J mice were immunized with bovine type II collagen on days 0 and 21 and Vigeo was administered daily for 20 days beginning the day after the second type II collagen injection. The mice were sacrificed on day 42 and the joint tissues were anatomically separated and subjected to micro computed tomography and histological analyses. In addition, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. CIA in DBA/1J mice caused symptoms of RA, such as joint inflammation, cartilage destruction and bone erosion. Treatment of CIA mice with Vigeo markedly decreased the symptoms and cartilage pathology. In addition, radiological and histological analyses showed that Vigeo attenuated bone and cartilage destruction. The serum TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß levels following oral Vigeo administration were also reduced when compared with those in CIA mice. The present study revealed that Vigeo suppressed arthritis symptoms in a CIA-RA mouse model, including bone loss and serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß.
RESUMO
Promotion of myoblast differentiation by activating mitochondrial biogenesis and protein synthesis signaling pathways provides a potential alternative strategy to balance energy and overcome muscle loss and muscle disorders. Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill. extract (SCE) has been used extensively as a traditional herbal medicine and has several physiological activities, including antiasthmatic, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiatopic, anticancer and hepatoprotective properties. However, the effects and mechanisms of action of SCE on muscle differentiation have not yet been clarified. In the present study, it was investigated whether SCE affects skeletal muscle cell differentiation through the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and protein synthesis in murine C2C12 myoblasts. The XTT colorimetric assay was used to determine cell viability, and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) levels were determined using immunocytochemistry. SCE was applied to C2C12 myotube at different concentrations (1, 5, or 10 ng/ml) and times (1,3, or 5 days). Reverse transcriptionquantitative PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the mRNA and protein expression change of factors related to differentiation, mitochondrial biogenesis and protein synthesis. Treatment of C2C12 cells with SCE at 1,5, and 10 ng/ml did not affect cell viability. SCE promoted C2C12 myotube formation and significantly increased MyHC expression in a concentration and timedependent manner. SCE significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression of muscle differentiationspecific markers, such as MyHC, myogenic differentiation 1, myogenin, Myogenic Factor 5, and ßcatenin, mitochondrial biosynthesisrelated factors, such as peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptorgamma coactivator1α, nuclear respirator factor1, AMPactivated protein kinase phosphorylation, and histone deacetylase 5 and AKT/mTOR signaling factors related to protein synthesis. SCE may prevent skeletal muscle dysfunction by enhancing myoblast differentiation through the promotion of mitochondrial biogenesis and protein synthesis.