Chinese Herbal Formula, Huayu Tongbi Fang, Attenuates Inflammatory Proliferation of Rat Synoviocytes Induced by IL-1β by Regulating Proliferation and Differentiation of T Lymphocytes

Abstract

The inflammatory proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and functional imbalances in T lymphocytes play critical roles in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The clinical efficacy of Huayu Tongbi Fang (HYTB, a traditional herbal formula) in RA treatment has been validated. In this study, we aimed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of HYTB on the proliferation and differentiation of T lymphocytes, and the inhibitory effect of HYTB on inflammatory proliferation of FLSs. The RCS-364 (Rat FLSs) cells were cocultured with rat splenic lymphocytes that were induced by interleukin-1β in Transwell chambers. After freeze-dried HYTB powder treatment, the percentage of T-cell subset and apoptosis rates of FLSs were measured using flow cytometry. Furthermore, protein expression of key molecules of NF-κB and JAK/STAT signaling pathways was quantified using Western blot. The granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that HYTB could inhibit the inflammatory proliferation of FLSs through inducing cell apoptosis. Additionally, HYTB treatment could intervene in the proliferation and differentiation of T lymphocytes and regulate protein expression of key molecules in NF-κB and JAK/STAT cell signaling pathways. Moreover, it could inhibit FLS activation by suppressing GM-CSF production by T cells and FLSs. Therefore, the HYTB formula should be used as a traditional medicine against RA in modern complementary and alternative therapies.

Herbal Formula Longteng Decoction Promotes the Regression of Synovial Inflammation in Collagen-Induced Arthritis Mice by Regulating Type 2 Innate Lymphocytes

“…Chinese herbal medicine has long been used as a complementary or alternative medicine to treat RA ( Zhang et al, 2018 ). The combination of Chinese herbs forms a variety of herbal therapeutic formulations, which play a significant synergistic role in treatment ( Chen et al, 2020 ). Our study took this as the starting point to observe the role of the traditional Chinese Medicine Compound LTD in regulating the ILC2s immune response network and slowing down the inflammation of synovial tissue.…”

Clinical Characterization and Possible Pathological Mechanism of Acute Myocardial Injury in COVID-19

“…Mcp-1 is one of the significantly increased cytokines, and it is also the main regulator of the migration and infiltration of the monocyte/macrophage system to the SARS-CoV-2 infection site. IL-1β is a key regulator of inflammatory response, which can stimulate the release of other cytokines (such as IL-17 and IL-21), and can also increase cell proliferation and differentiation ( 75 ). Studies showed that the inflammatory response level of IL-1β elevated in COVID-19 patients, especially in patients with poor prognosis.…”

Two Main Cellular Components in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Communication Between T Cells and Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes in the Joint Synovium

“…Paeoniflorin-6′-O-benzene sulfonate (CP-25) decreases the expression of B cell-activating factor, belonging to the TNF family-receptor (BAFF-R), in CD4 + T cells and represses cell proliferation and cytokine production in FLS co-cultured with BAFF-activated CD4 + T cells (85). A Chinese herbal formula, Huayu Tongbi Fang, also represses FLmediated inflammation in rats by suppressing T cells and FLSproducing GM-CSF (77). Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (UC-MSCs) inhibit the inflammatory features of FLS and T cells from patients with RA and alleviate the progression of CIA, implying that UC-MSCs can be used as a potential therapeutic strategy for RA (74).…”