Conclusions
By inhibiting autophagosome formation, both methotrexate and electroacupuncture inhibit synovial cell autophagy, alleviate synovial cell hyperautophagy, and relieve abnormal synovial hyperplasia, thus exerting a protective effect on the joint synovium. The combination of treatment with methotrexate and electroacupuncture works best.
Methods
A rat model of rheumatoid arthritis was constructed by Freund's complete adjuvant injection. The animals were then randomly grouped into the methotrexate + electroacupuncture, methotrexate, electroacupuncture, and model groups. The left hindfoot plantar volume, histopathological morphology of the ankle joint synovium, and autophagy-related genes were detected and compared after the intervention.
Objective
To explore the effect of methotrexate combined with electroacupuncture on autophagy in the ankle synovial tissue in rats modeled with rheumatoid arthritis.
Results
In comparison with the model group, significantly reduced plantar volume and mRNA and protein levels of autophagy-related gene (Atg) 3, Atg5, Atg12, unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1), Beclin1, and light chain 3 (LC3), as well as alleviated synovial hyperplasia were identified in the methotrexate and electroacupuncture groups. The improvement in the above indicators was more pronounced in the methotrexate + electroacupuncture group. Conclusions: By inhibiting autophagosome formation, both methotrexate and electroacupuncture inhibit synovial cell autophagy, alleviate synovial cell hyperautophagy, and relieve abnormal synovial hyperplasia, thus exerting a protective effect on the joint synovium. The combination of treatment with methotrexate and electroacupuncture works best.