Experimental Study of Yishenhuoxue Decoction for Treating Knee Osteoarthritis of the Rabbit

Objective:To study the therapeutic effect and possible mechanisms of Yiqihuoxue decoction on knee osteoarthritis models of rabbit.Methods:Thirty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into normal control group,model group,and treatment group.All animals in model group and treatment group were managed by immobilization method.One week later,the rabbits in normal control group and model group were treated with physiological saline,while,the rabbits in treatment group were treated with Yiqihuoxue decoction.The histopathology,level of IL-1,TNF-α,and MMP-3 of synovial fluid were observed six weeks after intragastric administration.Results:In histopathology observation,the cartilage damage was reduced in the drug treatment group after 6 weeks.The level of IL-1、TNF-α,and MMP-3 of synovial fluid in the treatment group were obviously lower than the model group(P0.05).Conclusion:Yiqihuoxue decoction can reduce cartilage damage in rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis.And it can inhibit the releasing of inflammatory cytokines(IL-1,TNF-α,etc) and MMP-3 effectively,thereby delaying the degradation of the cartilage.