Paeoniflorin inhibits IL-1β-induced MMP secretion via the NF-κB pathway in chondrocytes.

Paeoniflorin serves important cellular roles, exerting anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-pulmonary fibrosis effects and possesses immune-modulatory properties. However, the exact role of paeoniflorin in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of paeoniflorin on articular surfaces in vitro. Rat chondrocytes were cultured in vitro and an MTT assay was performed to assess chondrocyte survival. Following treatment with interleukin (IL)-1β and paeoniflorin, the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) was examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The interleukin (IL)-1β-induced nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway activation was also investigated. The results demonstrated that paeoniflorin was able to downregulate the expression of MMP and increase the expression of TIMP-1ntmRNA and protein in IL-1β-induced rat chondrocytes. Furthermore, treating chondrocytes with paeoniflorin blocked the activation of NF-κB. These results suggest that paeoniflorin may serve am anti-catabolic role in the progression of OA and may be an effective preventative treatment for OA.