Background: Taraxacum platycarpum has been used in traditional medicine in Korea to treat intoxication and edema and as a diuretic. According to previous reports, it has anti-cancer, anti-gastritis, and anti-inflammation effects. However, the improvement effect of T. platycarpum on rheumatoid arthritis has not been investigated. The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation effects of the aerial parts of T. platycarpum are different from those of its subterranean parts. Thus, we evaluated the effect of the water extracts of Taraxaci radix (WTR) on type II collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) in animal models.
Methods and Results: Rheumatoid arthritis was induced by type II collagen. WTR (100㎎/㎏ and 500㎎/㎏) was administered to the animal models. Methotrexate was used as the positive control. The levels of interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, and type II collagen IgG in the animals were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Treatment with 500㎎/㎏ WTR decreased the serum levels of interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, and collagen IgG in the CIA models. Moreover, treatment with WTR diminished the arthritisinduced swelling of the hind legs and monocyte infiltration in the bloodvessels of the animal models.
Conclusions: These results indicate that WTR has the potential to improve rheumatoid arthritis by reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha. However, further experiments are required to elucidate the influence of WTR on signal transduction in vitro and in vivo.

ABSTRACT
 서 언
 재료 및 방법
  1. 실험재료와 추출물의 제조
  2. 실험 동물 및 처치
  3. 점수화
  4. Hematoxylin과 eosin 염색
  5. Enzyme-linked immunospecific assay (ELISA)
  6. 통계처리
 결과 및 고찰
  1. 제2형 콜라겐에 의해 유도된 관절의 부종에 대한 민들레뿌리 물 추출물의 개선효과
  2. 활막 염증세포 침윤과 제2형 콜라겐 자가항체에 대한민들레 뿌리 물 추출물의 개선효과
  3. 염증매개인자에 대한 민들레 뿌리 물 추출물의 개선 효과
 REFERENCE

• 노종현(한약진흥재단) | Jong Hyun Nho (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 이현주(한약진흥재단) | Hyun Joo Lee (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 정호경(한약진흥재단) | Ho Kyung Jung (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine) Corresponding author
• 조현우(한약진흥재단) | Hyun Woo Cho (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 서재완(한약진흥재단) | Jae Wan Seo (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 황태연(한약진흥재단) | Tae Yeon Hwang (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 우경완(한약진흥재단) | Kyeong Wan Woo (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 김아현(한약진흥재단) | A Hyeon Kim (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 양버들(한약진흥재단) | Beo Dul Yang (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)
• 장지훈(한약진흥재단) | Ji Hun Jang (National Development Institute of Korean Medicine)