Garcinia angustifolia is a dry resin secreted by Garcinia cambogia, which has the functions of breaking blood, detoxifying, stopping bleeding and killing insects. It is used for the treatment of cancer and brain edema. Gambogic acid is the primary active ingredient. The present study aimed to investigate the anti‑inflammatory and antiproliferative effects of gambogic acid on arthritis and the possible mechanisms. It was demonstrated that gambogic acid decreased arthritic scores in murine collagen‑induced arthritic mice. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and IL‑18 concentrations, and caspase‑3 and caspase‑9 were significantly inhibited by gambogic acid in arthritic mice. Gambogic acid decreased matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)‑2, MMP‑9, nuclear factor (NF)‑κB and phosphorylated‑p38 protein expression, and increased tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteases‑1 (TIMP‑1) protein expression in arthritic mice. Furthermore, the phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase (Akt) signaling pathway was induced in arthritic mice treated with gambogic acid. The results suggested that gambogic acid induced anti‑inflammatory effects in murine collagen‑induced arthritis, through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and offers future potential for application in arthritis patients.
BACKGROUND: In the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), there is a need for the long-term use of therapeutic drugs that reduce joint pain and have fewer adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of bean pressing on ear points on early KOA pain. METHODS: One hundred patients with KOA recruited at the Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2019 and May 2022 were divided randomly into a treatment group (n= 50) and control group (n= 50). Patients in the treatment group received regular rehabilitation combined with auricular bean-pressing treatment, while patients in the control group only received conventional rehabilitation treatment. The measurement indicators – knee swelling, tenderness, range of motion sign score, C-reactive protein, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) indexes – were recorded before and after treatment. RESULTS: On day 5 following the start of treatment, the visual analog scale (VAS) and WOMAC scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P< 0.05), and the VAS and WOMAC scores in the treatment group after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P< 0.05). At week 4 after the start of treatment, the dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). No adverse events were observed during the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Auricular bean-pressing therapy had an analgesic effect and could also alleviate mild to moderate KOA swelling, joint stiffness, and other symptoms, effectively reducing the demand for NSAIDs and improving both knee function and quality of life. The results suggested that auricular bean-pressing therapy has promising prospects in the treatment of early KOA pain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.