[Therapeutic effect and hepatotoxicity of Tripterygium wilfordii compound recipe gel on adjuvant-induced arthritis rat].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the therapeutic effect and the impact on liver function of different-dose Tripterygium wilfordii compound recipe gel (TWCG) for external use on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) rats.

METHODS

Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis rats were dressed with different doses of TWCG, voltaren as positive control and blank gel as blank control. The ankle swelling degrees were evaluated; the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were detected by ELISA; the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in ankle cartilage were determined by immunohistochemical method; the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were tested with the automatic biochemical analyzer.

RESULTS

Compared with the model group (dressed with blank gel), the ankle swelling degrees in TWCG groups and voltaren group were significantly reduced (P<0.05); the levels of TNF-α markedly decreased and IL-4 increased in sera (P<0.05); the content of MMP-3 in ankle joint tissues was significantly reduced (P<0.05). The effects in high-dose TWCG group and median-dose TWCG group were better than that in voltaren group and low-dose TWCG group (P<0.05). However, the levels of ALT and AST were not statistically different among the groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

TWCG has obvious anti-inflammatory and detumescence effects on AA rat. It can protect cartilage tissue effectively without significant hepatotoxicity.