ObjectiveChondrocyte apoptosis has also been strongly correlated with the severity of cartilage damage and matrix depletion in an osteoarthritis (OA) joint. Therefore, pharmacological inhibitors of apoptosis may provide a novel treatment option for patients with OA. Aucubin, a natural compound isolated from Eucommia ulmoides, has been proved to possess antioxidative and anti-apoptotic properties. However, anti-osteoarthritis effect of aucubin in animal model and anti-apoptotic response of aucubin in OA chondrocytes remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether aucubin could slow progression of OA in a mouse model and inhibit the IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis.MethodsOA severity and articular cartilage degradation were evaluated by Safranin-O staining, Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) standards. Chondrocyte viability was observed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and live/dead cells assay; the apoptotic rate of chondrocytes was evaluated by flow cytometry (FCM) with Annexin V-FITC/PI kit. Mediators of apoptosis were tested by Western blot of Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bcl-2 expression. The intracellular levels of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed by the probe of 2,7-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA).ResultsThe articular cartilage in the limb with destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) exhibited early OA-like manifestations characterized by proteoglycan loss, cartilage fibrillation, and erosion, with lower OARSI score. Oral administration of aucubin remarkably attenuated the loss of proteoglycan and the articular cartilage erosion and decreased the OARSI scores underwent DMM surgery. Aucubin treatment significantly reverses IL-1β-induced cytotoxicity and attenuated the IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis. In addition, aucubin can significantly inhibit mediators of apoptosis in rat primary chondrocytes. Furthermore, aucubin remarkably attenuated the IL-1β-induced intracellular ROS production.ConclusionOur findings suggest that aucubin has a protective effect on articular cartilage and slowing progression of OA in a mouse model. This protective effect may result from inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis and excessive ROS production.
Abstract.We have reduced and analyzed the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Short-Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) spectra of 29 infrared carbon stars with a silicon carbide feature at 11.30 µm, 17 of which have not been previously published. Absorption or emission features of C 2 , HCN, C 2 H 2 , C 3 and silicon carbide (SiC) have been identified in all 17 unpublished carbon stars. In addition, two unidentified absorption features at 3.50 and 3.65 µm are listed for the first time in this paper. We classify these 29 carbon stars into groups A, B, C and D according to the shapes of their spectral energy distribution, and this classification seems to show an evolutionary sequence of carbon stars with an SiC feature. Moreover we have found the following results for the different groups: on average, the relative integrated flux of the 3.05 µm C 2 H 2 +HCN absorption feature increases gradually from group A to B and C; that of the 5.20 µm C 3 absorption feature becomes gradually weaker from group A to B and C; that of the 11.30 µm SiC emission feature increases gradually from group A to B and C but weakens in group D; and in contrast, that of the 13.70 µm C 2 H 2 absorption feature weakens gradually from group A to B and C but becomes stronger in group D. We suggest that the evolution of the IR spectra of carbon stars along the sequence A to D is a result of the following phenomena: as the near-IR black-body temperature (T nir ) decreases, the circumstellar envelope becomes thicker; also the effective temperature (T eff ) of the photosphere of the central star decreases gradually and the C/O ratio increases from A to B.
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