Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation and progressive joint destruction. Chebulanin is a natural polyphenol acid isolated from the traditional Tibetan medicine Terminalia chebula Retz that has previously been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of chebulanin and explore its underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro using a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7 cell inflammation model. Arthritis severity scores were assessed twice weekly; the levels of cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits; histopathological assessment was performed using micro computed tomography and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were assessed using western blotting. The inhibition of translocation of cytosolic p38 and p65 into the nucleus was observed using immunofluorescence staining and western blotting in vitro. Chebulanin significantly suppressed the progression and development of RA in CIA mice by decreasing the arthritis severity scores, attenuating paw swelling and joint destruction, and reducing the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α significantly (p < 0.05). Furthermore, chebulanin reduced the levels of excised phosphorylated (p)-p38, phosphorylated-c-JUN N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), p-p65 and phosphorylated NF-κB inhibitor alpha (p-IκBα) in CIA mice, but did not affect the level of phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In addition, chebulanin could inhibit the nuclear translocation of p38 and p65 in LPS-stimulated macrophages in dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that chebulanin exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.