Shi Hangchu, Liu Qiming, He Wang, Ma Xuming, Shen Xiaoqiang, Zou Yang
Department of Orthopedics, The Third People's Hospital of Yuhang District, Hangzhou, China.
Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Fuyang Orthopedics and Traumatology Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Cytotechnology. 2025 Feb;77(1):13. doi: 10.1007/s10616-024-00680-9. Epub 2024 Dec 9.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common form of arthritis characterized by subchondral bone proliferation and articular cartilage degeneration. Recently, the Nod-like receptor pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has gained attention due to its association with synovial inflammation in OA. Triptolide (TP), known for its immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects, has been studied in various diseases. However, the specific impact of TP on OA and its underlying mechanism remains largely unexplored. In this study, chondrocytes were treated with a specific concentration of TP, and subsequent analysis through Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining revealed decreased expression levels of MMP-13, NLRP3, Caspase-1, ASC, β-catenin, p-p65, and IκB compared to the model group. ELISA results demonstrated significantly lower levels of IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α in the TP treatment group compared to the model group. In addition, triptolide ameliorates the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by enhancing the expression of collagen-II. In conclusion, our findings suggest that TP exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on chondrocytes in the presence of LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome via the Wnt/β-catenin and NF-κB pathway. These results contribute to a better understanding of TP's potential therapeutic benefits in managing OA.
骨关节炎(OA)是一种常见的关节炎形式,其特征在于软骨下骨增殖和关节软骨退变。最近,NOD样受体吡啉结构域3(NLRP3)炎性小体因其与OA滑膜炎症的关联而受到关注。雷公藤甲素(TP)以其免疫抑制和抗炎作用而闻名,已在多种疾病中进行了研究。然而,TP对OA的具体影响及其潜在机制在很大程度上仍未得到探索。在本研究中,用特定浓度的TP处理软骨细胞,随后通过蛋白质印迹和免疫荧光染色分析发现,与模型组相比,MMP-13、NLRP3、半胱天冬酶-1、ASC、β-连环蛋白、p-p65和IκB的表达水平降低。ELISA结果表明,与模型组相比,TP治疗组中IL-1β、IL-18和TNF-α的水平显著降低。此外,雷公藤甲素通过增强胶原蛋白-II的表达来改善细胞外基质(ECM)的降解。总之,我们的研究结果表明,TP通过Wnt/β-连环蛋白和NF-κB途径抑制NLRP3炎性小体的激活,从而在LPS诱导的炎症存在下对软骨细胞表现出抗炎作用。这些结果有助于更好地理解TP在治疗OA方面的潜在治疗益处。