본 연구는 CIA에 의해 유발된 DBA/1 마우스를 통해 류마티스관절염 바이오마커에 대한 두 충 추출물의 효과를 평가하였다. 평가를 위해 류마티스관절염 동물모델 제작 후 100 ㎎/㎏/day로 4주간 경구 투여하고 혈청 바이오마커, 방사선, 구조적 매개변수 분석을 통해 치료 효과를 확인하였다. 음성대 조군과 비교하여, 두충 추출물은 염증 및 면역글로불린 마커(TNF-α, IgG 및 hs-CRP)의 생성을 유의 하게 감소시켰고, 백혈구의 단핵구 수를 유의적으로 감소시켰다. 또한, 두충 추출물은 관절 파괴를 효과 적으로 보존하고 관절 변형을 줄였으며, 골 밀도의 증가와 유의적으로 골 염증을 감소시켰다. 이러한 결 과는 두충 추출물이 류마티스관절염 증상을 개선하는 것을 나타낸다. 따라서, 두충 추출물은 류마티스관 절염 관리를 위한 새로운 치료 옵션이 될 수 있음을 보여준다.

The purpose of this study was to examine the physiochemical characteristics of hot water extract of Caragana sinica roots and verified its protective effect on MIA-induced osteoarthritis in rats. The contents of total polyphenol and total flavonoid used in this experiment were 0.40 mg/g and 0.22 mg/g respectively. We found that the weight of all experiment groups which ingested Caragana sinica extract for three weeks evenly increased in rats with MIA-induced osteoarthritis without toxicity in the liver or kidney. In the histopathological test through the Mankin score, the extent of damage of knee joint tissue in the experiment groups to which Caragana sinica extract was administered in 5 mL/kg or 10 mL/kg was significantly lower than that of the negative control groups statistically(p<0.05). As for the grade of osteoarthritis, the extent of tissue damage of the experiment groups to which Caragana sinica extract was administered in 5 mL/kg or 10 mL/kg was lower than that of the negative control groups as well.

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.