OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) in treating adjuvant arthritis of rats and its effect on fas, fasL and bcl-2 expression in synovial membrane.

METHODSRats were randomly divided into the normal group, the model group, the model group, the methotrexate (MTX) group, the TPT group and the XFC group. Except for the rats in the normal group, animals were modelled to adjuvant arthritis with Freund's complete adjuvant, and the latter three groups were treated with MTX, Tripterygium wilfordii polysaccharide (TPT) and XFC respectively. The arthritis index (AI), change of body weight (BW) of rats were recorded, and the expressions of fas, fasL and bcl-2 in rats' synovial membrane were determined.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment, the AI in the three treated groups was lowered significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The BW increment in the XFC group after treatment was insignificantly different to that in the normal group (P > 0.05), while it was significantly lower in the other two treated groups than that in the normal group and the XFC group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, fasL expression was increased in the XFC group significantly (P < 0.05), but bcl-2 expression decreased, fas expression showed insignificant difference (P > 0.05). Comparison of the three gene expressions between the three treated groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONXFC could decrease AI in rats with adjuvant arthritis in the same way as MTX and TPT, it effected better in increasing BW than the latter two. The effect of XFC might be performed by its action in enhancing fasL expression, inhibiting bcl-2 expression and promoting apoptosis of proliferated synovial membranous cell so as to restrain hyperplasia of synovial membrane.