Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Hh pathway expression in the blood, synovial cells and chondrocytes of different rheumatoid arthritis models

Yingyi Wu, Guangxia Yang, Jing Fei, Yang Huang

Department of Rheumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University (Wuxi 4th Peopleâ€™s Hospital), No. 200 Huihe Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214062, China;

For correspondence:- Yang Huang Email: YangHuangqaz@163.com Tel:+8651088082303

Accepted: 20 February 2019 Published: 31 March 2019

Citation: Wu Y, Yang G, Fei J, Huang Y. Hh pathway expression in the blood, synovial cells and chondrocytes of different rheumatoid arthritis models. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(3):499-504 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i3.8

© 2019 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitor, cyclopamine, and activator purmorphamine on articular cartilage cell proliferation.

Methods: Rats were subjected to AA and CIA models. Secondary paw swelling was measured at 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 days. The rats were sacrificed on day 30. Tissues from the cartilage and knee joints were collected. Cell proliferation was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay while cell apoptosis was determined by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide assay. Protein expression levels of Shh, Ptch1 and Gli1 were determined by Western blotting.

Results: Compared with the control group, arthritis index and secondary foot swelling of the adjuvant arthritis (AA) and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) groups deteriorated significantly (p < 0.05). MTT data revealed that cyclopamine promoted articular cartilage cell proliferation of the AA and CIA groups. The cell proliferation rates of AA and CIA groups were significantly higher than that of control group (p < 0.05). Flow cytometry showed that the cell apoptosis rates of AA and CIA groups were significantly lower than that of control group (p < 0.05). Compared with control, cyclopamine decreased the protein expression levels of sonic Hh, patched homologue 1 and glioma-associated oncogene homologue, but the effect of purmorphamine was the reverse.

Conclusion: Hh pathway inhibitor (cyclopamine) and activator (purmorphamine) affect the expression of Hh pathway. Disruption of the Hh pathway may be of potential therapeutic significance in protecting articular cartilage from rheumatoid arthritis.

Keywords: Adjuvant arthritis, Cyclopamine, Purmorphamine, Synovial cells, Chondrocytes, Hedgehog signaling pathway