Effect of Angelica sinensis Polysaccharides on Osteoarthritis In Vivo and In Vitro : A Possible Mechanism to Promote Proteoglycans Synthesis

Abstract EN

This study investigated the effect of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides (APS-3c) on rat osteoarthritis (OA) model in vivo and rat interleukin-1-beta- (IL-1β-) stimulated chondrocytes in vitro.

APS-3c was administrated into rat OA knee joints and had protective effects on rat OA cartilage in 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-1β but 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 model in vivo and IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes in 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.