Effect ofAngelica sinensisPolysaccharides on OsteoarthritisIn VivoandIn Vitro: A Possible Mechanism to Promote Proteoglycans Synthesis

Abstract

This study investigated the effect ofAngelica sinensispolysaccharides (APS-3c) on rat osteoarthritis (OA) modelin vivoand rat interleukin-1-beta- (IL-1β-) stimulated chondrocytesin vitro. APS-3c was administrated into rat OA knee joints and had protective effects on rat OA cartilagein vivo. Primary rat articular chondrocytes were cotreated with APS-3c and IL-1β  in vitro. 2~50 μg/mL APS-3c had no effect on chondrocytes viability, whereas it increased the proteoglycans (PGs) synthesis inhibited by IL-1β. Microarray analysis showed that the significant changes were concentrated in the genes which were involved in PGs synthesis. RT-PCR confirmed that treatment with APS-3c increased the mRNA expression of aggrecan and glycosyltransferases (GTs) inhibited by IL-1βbut did not affect the mRNA expression of matrix-degrading enzymes. These results indicate that APS-3c can improve PGs synthesis of chondrocytes on rat OA modelin vivoand IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytesin vitro, which is due to the promotion of the expression of aggrecan and GTs involved in PGs synthesis but not the inhibition of the expression of matrix-degrading enzymes. Our findings suggest the clinical relevance of APS-3c in the prospective of future alternative medical treatment for OA.