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Chrysin Attenuates IL-1β-Induced Expression of Inflammatory Mediators by Suppressing NF-κB in Human Osteoarthritis Chondrocytes

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Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degradation and inflammation. Chrysin, a natural flavonoid extracted from honey and propolis, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of chrysin on OA have not been reported. This study aimed to assess the effects of chrysin on human OA chondrocytes. Human OA chondrocytes were pretreated with chrysin (1, 5, 10 μM) for 2 h and subsequently stimulated with IL-1β for 24 h. Production of NO, PGE2, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5 was evaluated by the Griess reaction and ELISAs. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of COX-2, iNOS, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, ADAMTS-5, aggrecan, and collagen-II was measured by real-time PCR. The protein expression of COX-2, iNOS, p65, p-p65, IκB-α, and p-IκB-α was detected by Western blot. The protein expression of collagen-II and p65 nuclear translocation was evaluated by immunofluorescence. We found that chrysin significantly inhibited the IL-1β-induced production of NO and PGE2; expression of COX-2, iNOS, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5; and degradation of aggrecan and collagen-II. Furthermore, chrysin dramatically blocked IL-1β-stimulated IκB-α degradation and NF-κB activation. Taken together, these results suggest that chrysin may be a potential agent in the treatment of OA.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the staff in the Laboratory of Orthopedic Research Institute and Scientific Research Center of Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81402980), Zhejiang Province Medical and Health Technology Project (2017KY480), and Wenzhou Science and Technology Bureau (Y20160040).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325000, China

    Wenhao Zheng, Zhenyu Tao, Leyi Cai, Chunhui Chen, Chuanxu Zhang, Quan Wang, Xiaozhou Ying, Wei Hu & Hua Chen

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  1. Wenhao Zheng
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  2. Zhenyu Tao
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  3. Leyi Cai
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  9. Hua Chen
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Correspondence to Hua Chen.

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The study was in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Tokyo.

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Zheng, W., Tao, Z., Cai, L. et al. Chrysin Attenuates IL-1β-Induced Expression of Inflammatory Mediators by Suppressing NF-κB in Human Osteoarthritis Chondrocytes. Inflammation 40, 1143–1154 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-017-0558-9

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