Anti-arthritic effects of Ephedra sinica STAPF herb-acupuncture: Inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and adjuvant-induced polyarthritis

Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of water distillates of Ephedra sinica STAPF (ES), in herb-acupuncture, on the inflammatory responses of arthritis was investigated using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human macrophage and adjuvant-induced arthritic rat. The luciferase reporter vectors driven by the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and cyclooxygenase-2 promoters were transiently transfected into U937 cells, which were then differentiated and stimulated by PMA and LPS, respectively, to develop an in vitro anti-inflammation assay system. The luciferase activities, observed in the activated U937 cells, were significantly inhibited by ES herb-acupuncture, compared to those of PD98509 and berberine. To evaluate ES herb-acupuncture as a novel anti-arthritic therapy, a polyarthritic rat model was developed using heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 50 mu l of ES distillate was subcutaneously injected into the ST36 acupoint on each knee joint. While the articular indexes of arthritic rats were evidently decreased by ES herb-acupuncture, their body weights did not regain their initial levels. This may be due to the accelerating effects of ES on weight-loss and fat consumption. The mRNA expressions of TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 genes, which were closely stimulated in the arthritic rat joints, were found to be restored to the normal levels through the ES treatment. In the case of IL-1 beta, the recovery was not significant but substantial. The anti-arthritic effect of ES herb-acupuncture was not found in the ES-treated/non-acupoint group. In conclusion, the ES herb-acupuncture into the ST36 acupoint was found to be effective in alleviating the inflammatory response and thus arthritic symptoms in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats.