Effect of Needle-Warming Moxibustion on Subchondral Bone Injury in Rabbits with KOA Based on OPG/RANKL and Notch1 Signaling Pathways
Objective:To observe the effects of needle-warming moxibustion on Osteoprotegerin(OPG)/receptor activator of NF-κB lignand(RANKL)and Notch1 signaling pathway in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis(KOA),and to explore the mechanism of needle-warming moxibustion in treatment of KOA.Methods:50 New Zealand female and male rabbits(6 months old)were randomly divided into the blank group,the model group,the medication group and the needle-warming moxibustion group.The KOA model was established by tube plaster extension fixation in the rabbits.After 6 weeks of intervention,the morphological structure of subchondral bone was observed by HE staining,the protein expressions of OPG,RANKL and Notch1 were detected by Western blot,and the mRNA contents of OPG,RANKL and Notch1 in subchondral bone were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in each group.Results:Compared with those in the model group,the cartilage surface was relatively smooth and complete,the structure was relatively clear,and the cell distribution at the subchondral bone was relatively uniform in the medication group and the needle-warming moxibustion group.Compared with those in the blank group,the scores of Lequesne MG and Mankin,the mRNA expressions of RANKL and Notch1,as well as the proteins of RANKL and Notch1 were significantly increased in the model group(P＜0.01).Compared with those in the model group,the scores of Lequesne MG and Mankin,the mRNA expressions of RANKL and Notch1,as well as the proteins of RANKL and Notch1 were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),whereas OPG mRNA,OPG protein,OPG/RANKL and OPG/Notch1 were significantly increased in the medication group and the needle-warming moxibution group(P＜0.01).The scores of Lequesne MG and Mankin were lower(P＜0.01),whereas the levels of OPG protein,OPG/RANKL and OPG/Notch1 were higher in the needle-warming moxibustion group than those in the medication group(P＜0.01).Conclusion:Needle-warming moxibustion can promote the expression of OPG,inhibit the expressions of RANKL and Notch1,regulate OPG/RANKL and Notch1 signaling pathways,and reduce the injury of subchondral bone in KOA rabbits,so as to play a role in treatment of KOA.
万方数据
维普
