Intervention Effect of Herbs on Substance P in Adjuvant Arthritis Rats

Objective:To investigate the effects of herbs of clearing heat and resolving dampness and dredging collaterals and relieving pain on substance P(SP) in adjuvant arthritis(AA) rats.Methods:AA rats were randomly divided into the normal group,the model group,the tripterygium polyglucoside group,the low-dose and high-dose herbs groups.TNF-α,IL-1β were used as indicator of inflammatory activity.The tripterygium polyglucoside group was used as the positive control.The treatment groups were respectively intragastric administrated with tripterygium polyglucoside,low-dose and high-dose herbs for 30days after modeling.The levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,SP in blood and synovial membrane and the levels of SP in the spinal dorsal horn were measured by radioimmunoassay before and after treatment.The levels changes of SP in the low-dose and high-dose herbs groups were observed.Results:In the model group,the levels of SP in spinal dorsal horn and TNF-α,IL-1 β,SP in blood and synovial membrane increased compared with the normal group(P0.05).After treatment with tripterygium polyglucoside and herbs,the degree of right toe swelling in treatment groups were lower than that in model group(P0.05),and the levels of SP,TNF-α in blood and synovial membrane,IL-1β in synovial membrane were all lower than that in the model group(P0.05).In addition in the high-dose herbs group the levels of SP in spinal dorsal horn was decreased.Conclution:The herbs in the treatment of adjuvant arthritis rats have favorable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects that may involved in reducing the levels of the peripheral and central SP besides TNF-α and IL-1β in blood and synovial membrane.