Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common autoimmune disease, affects billions of people worldwide. Conventional therapeutics do not provide satisfactory efficacy and even cause severe adverse reactions. Researchers are seeking new approaches for RA management. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of RA, and has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for RA. Chinese medicines are believed to be alternative options for conventional RA therapeutics. A herbal formula RL, consisting of Rosae Multiflorae Fructus and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, has traditionally been used in treating various inflammatory disorders including RA. In this study we assessed the anti-arthritic efficacy of RL in animals, and investigated the involvement of TLR4 signalling in RL's effects in vivo and in vitro. In vivo anti-arthritic efficacy of RL was evaluated using CIA (collagen-induced arthritis) rats, a model that is well established for studying human RA. Articular disease manifestations were investigated grossly, radiographically, and histologically. Isolated splenocytes were used to determine the effects of RL on immune responses. Molecular events in the TLR4 pathways upon RL treatment were examined in sera and joint tissues of CIA rats as well as in cultured lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine RAW264.7 and human THP-1 cells.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:hkbu.edu.hk/oai:repository.hkbu.edu.hk:etd_oa-1311 |
| Date | 12 July 2016 |
| Creators | Cheng, Chi Yan |
| Publisher | HKBU Institutional Repository |
| Source Sets | Hong Kong Baptist University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Open Access Theses and Dissertations |
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