OBJECTIVE

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent form of arthritis, impacts approximately 10% of men and 18% of women aged above 60 years. Currently, a complete cure for OA remains elusive, making clinical management challenging. The traditional Chinese herb , integral to the Juanbi pill for rheumatism, shows promise in safeguarding chondrocytes through its strong anti-inflammatory effects.

METHODS

To explore the protective effect of notopterol and miRNA (has-miR-4248) against inflammation, we simulated an inflammatory environment in chondrocytes cell lines C20A4 and C28/12, focusing on inflammasome formation and pyroptosis.

RESULTS

Our finding indicates notopterol significantly reduced interleukin (IL)-18 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha levels in inflamed cells, curtailed reactive oxygen species (ROS) production post-inflammation, and inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thus offering chondrocytes protection from inflammation. Importantly, notopterol also hindered inflammasome assembly and pyroptosis by blocking the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway through hsa-miR-4282 modulation. experiments showed that notopterol treatment markedly decreased Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores in OA mice and boosted hsa-miR-4282 expression compared to control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores notopterol's potential as a therapeutic agent in OA treatment, highlighting its capacity to shield cartilage from inflammation-induced damage, particularly by preventing pyroptosis.