Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases seen in clinical practice. Cartilage survives in the hypoxic microenvironment. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a key nuclear transcription factor which mediates the hypoxic response of cells. HIF-1α gene is an important regulator for the adaptation of articular cartilage to the hypoxic environment. It is important for formation of articular cartilage, energy metabolism and matrix synthesis. If the HIF-1α gene is knocked out, the cartilage can not maintain their normal morphology and function, which may lead to cartilage degeneration, and result in diseases such as osteoarthritis. Chinese herbal medicines can regulate the expression of HIF-1α gene and supply a therapy method for osteoarthritis. In this paper, the authors review the situation of the correlation between HIF-1α and osteoarthritis cartilage degeneration examined in recent years.

Professor Shi Qi is a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor specializing in orthopaedics and traumatology, who has formatted a set of systematic protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal conditions. When it is time for using tonics in winter, he advocates applying herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal diseases. This paper introduces Professor Shi Qi's commonly used prescription for treating chronic musculoskeletal conditions and puts forward demands and understandings in concocting herbal paste, experience in herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal diseases such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar muscle strain, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, knee osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis of femoral head, and the advantages of herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal conditions as opposed to alternative treatments.

Ligusticum chuanxiong is a Common Chinese medicinal herb which is widely used in clinical treatment. Modern research has shown that the ingredients of Ligusticum chuanxiong such as tetramethylpyrazine and ferulic acid have multiple effects of scavenging oxygen free radicals,calcium-antagonism,vasodilating,inhibiting platelet aggregation and thrombosis and so on. This article reviews the research progress in pharmacological activities of the available compositions in ligusticum chuanxiong in the past several years.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Yiqi Huayu Recipe on neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in neuromuscular junctions during nerve regeneration in rats with lumbar nerve root compression. METHODS: The rats with lumbar nerve root compression were given Yiqi Huayu Recipe for 10, 20 and 30 days respectively. The distribution of N-CAM in neuromuscular junctions of soleus muscle in rats was examined with immunohistochemical method and confocal laser scanning microscopy technique. The acetylcholine receptor (AChR) was visualized with fluorescein-conjugated alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BTX). The overlap areas of N-CAM and AChR sites were measured with NIH image technique. RESULTS: The aggregates, sprouts and extensions of N-CAM in the neuromuscular junctions and the overlap areas of N-CAM and AChR sites in the Yiqi Huayu Recipe-treated group were all better improved than those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION: The expression of N-CAM is regulated according to the state of innervation for muscles. Yiqi Huayu Recipe may accelerate this nerve regeneration process.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Yiqi Huayu Recipe on neurons in neuromuscular junction after L5 nerve root compression in rats. METHODS: By using immunohistochemistry, confocal laser scanning techniques and protein gene product 9.5 as a neuronal marker, the motor endplates were visualized with fluorescein-conjugated alpha-BTX. The effect of Yiqi Huayu Recipe on nerve terminals of neuromuscular junction at 10, 20, 30, 60 days after L5 nerve root compression was observed in rat soleus muscles during regeneration. The overlap areas of terminals and endplates were measured with NIH image technique. RESULTS: As for the aggregates, sprouts, extension of nerve terminal during regeneration, the connecting speed and range of nerve terminal with endplates, as well as the reformation of neuromuscular junctions during regeneration, Yiqi Huayu Recipe group was better than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Yiqi Huayu Recipe can promote the hyperplasia of neurons and enhance the regeneration function. It also can accelerate the neuromuscular junction reformation and shorten the process of regeneration.

Objective To investigate the effects of overexpression of Mash-1 gene on functional recovery and neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells in spinal cord injury mice. Methods CE3 cell line with overexpression of Mash-1 gene was generated with murine stem cell virus. Spinal cord injury model was established with forceps compression in 4-week-old KM mice. Normal saline (model group, n=12), CE3 cells with or without overexpression Mash-1 gene (CE3-Mash-1 and CE3 groups, n=12 respectively) were transplanted into the ar-eas of injury 3 days after injury. They were assessed with the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injury. 6 mice from each group were sacrificed 14 and 28 days after injury respectively. The spinal cord area remained were observed with HE stained, and the expression of Oct3/4, nestin,β-tubulin III and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected with immunofluorescence in the injured spinal cord in the CE3 and CE3-Mash-1 groups. Results The score of BMS significantly improved in CE3 and CE3-Mash-1 groups com-pared with that of the model group (F>84.471, P<0.05), with the more area of spinal cord remained (F>49.990, P<0.05). There were less Oct3/4 positive cells in the CE3-Mash-1 group than CE3 group (t=5.439, P<0.001), with more nestin (t=-7.536, P<0.001) andβ-tubulin III (t=-9.941, P<0.001) positive cells. However, there was no significant difference in GFAP positive cells between CE3-Mash-1 and CE3 groups (t=1.701, P>0.05). Conclusion Overexpression of Mash-1 gene promotes CE3 cells to differentiate into neurons in spinal cord injury mice, and improve the motor function recovery.

To investigate the gene expression changes in the degenerated cervical intervertebral discs of rats, and to study the function of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, and its discomposed formulas in regulating gene expressions in the degenerated cervical intervertebral discs.

OBJECTIVE: To make an animal model of cervical spondylosis (arthralgia syndrome type) with stimulation of wind, cold, and dampness. METHODS: Twenty-four 8 months old male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly allocated into four groups: normal control group, light stimulation group, moderate stimulation group and severe stimulation group. The wind speed was 10.8-13.8 m/s, the temperature was (5+/-0.5)degrees centigrade, and the humidity was 100%. The rabbits of light, moderate, and severe stimulation groups were kept in the above-mentioned environments for 4 hours everyday, and for a total of 32, 64, and 128 hours, respectively. The intervertebral discs were stained with HE method, and observed with a light microscope. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), 6-ketone-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-K-PGF(1alpha)) and thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) contents were measured by ELISA. Fas and Bcl-2 expressions were examined by immunohistochemical avidin-biotin peroxidose complex technique. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) mRNA expressions were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The nucleus pulposus of rabbits in the light and moderate stimulation groups shrunken, and in the severe stimulation group, the anulus fibrosus loosed or ruptured, and the cartilage end-plate became proliferated. Compared with rabbits in the normal control group, the PGE(2) content rose in the light stimulation group, the contents of PGE(2), 6-K-PGF(1alpha), and TXB(2) increased, the expressions of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mRNAs and Fas were up-regulated, and the expressions of TGF-beta mRNA and Bcl-2 were down-regulated in the moderate and severe stimulation groups. The expression of Fas was up-regulated mostly and Bcl-2 was down-regulated mostly in the severe group. CONCLUSION: Moderate and severe stimulations of wind, cold and dampness can lead to degeneration of cervical intervertebral discs of rabbits. The model corresponds to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine about arthralgia syndrome caused by wind, cold and dampness.

OBJECTIVE: To set up a natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from endplate of intervertebral discs of rats in order to offer an appropriate carrier for the study on mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: The method of enzyme digestion combined with natural subculture was used to set up the in vitro natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from the endplate of intervertebral disc of rats. The morphological appearances and microstructures of the chondrocytes of different generations were observed. The expression of collagen II in chondrocytes was detected by immunocytochemical method. RESULTS: The chondrocytes derived from the endplate of intervertebral disc expressed collagen II. After 13 days of culture, the chondrocytes of generation III showed that the ability of cell division descended, the nucleoli became unclear, the cells deformed obviously, fusiform shape with weak optical activity appeared, and the intercellular space was enlarged. There were vacuoles and lipid droplets in cytoplasm. The synthesis of collagen II, as well as the cell proliferation rate, descended notably. All results showed the natural degeneration process of the chondrocytes. CONCLUSION: The in vitro natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from endplate of intervertebral discs of rats was successfully established. This can offer the cytological basis for study on the mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration.