Journal of inflammation research
Network Pharmacology and Experimental Evidence Indicate That Dihydrochelerythrine from Toddalia asiatica Ameliorates Pathological Features of Knee Osteoarthritis in Rats and Is Associated with PI3K/AKT Signaling
By Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zha Q and 4 others.
Abstract
Background
Toddalia asiatica is used in Chinese patent medicines for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), but the active constituents and experimental basis remain incompletely defined. This study examined whether dihydrochelerythrine (DHCHE) ameliorates structural and molecular changes in experimental KOA.
Methods
Active compounds and candidate targets were screened by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Male Sprague-Dawley rats with monosodium iodoacetate-induced KOA received DHCHE (2.5 or 5 mg/kg) by oral gavage once daily for 28 days, beginning 7 days after model induction. Knee joints were assessed by micro-computed tomography, hematoxylin-eosin staining, Safranin O-fast green staining with positive-area quantification, and Western blotting.