AIM:To investigate the inhibitory ef-fect of Zushima ointment on inflammation and bone destruction in CIA mice.METHODS:SPF grade male DBA/1 mice were used,6 were random-ly selected as the normal group,and 18 CIA mice that were successfully modelled were randomly di-vided into the model group,the plaster group(1.0 g/kg),and the fuselage group(0.12 g per time)ac-cording to the random number table method,6 mice in each group,and each administered group was given medication according to the body mass,and saline was given to both the normal and model groups.The normal group and the model group were given saline,and breathable adhesive paper was applied once a day for 4 h/session for 4 consec-utive weeks.The arthritis scoring index was used to observe the changes of arthritis symptoms and ar-thritis index scores of mice in each group.Micro-CT was used to observe the damage of hind paw of mice,real-time fluorescence PCR was used to de-tect the mRNA expression of IL-17,IL-1β and TNF-αin ankle joint tissues,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of OPG and RANKL proteins in ankle joint tissues,and hematox-ylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe the pathological changes of synovial tissues after the treatment.The pathological changes of synovial tis-sue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,and the changes of osteoclasts in ankle joint tissue were observed by anti-tartaric acid phosphatase(TRAP)method.RESULTS:Compared with the normal group,the arthritis index score of the model mice was significantly higher(P＜0.05).Micro-CT showed severe bone erosion in the hind paws of the mice,destruction of the bone surface and reduction of bone volume.The expression of IL-17,IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA(PCR)in the ankle joint tissues was significantly higher(P＜0.05).Im-munohistochemistry showed that the relative ex-pression of OPG protein in the ankle joint tissues was reduced(P＜0.05).Immunohistochemistry showed a decrease in the relative expression of OPG protein(P＜0.01)and an increase in the rela-tive expression of RANKL protein(P＜0.01).HE re-sults showed moderate inflammatory cell infiltra-tion,swelling of synovial cells,massive formation of vascular opacities and synovial hyperplasia;an increase in the number of osteoclasts,roughness of the surface of articular cartilage tissue,severe bone destruction and thinning of the cartilage lay-er.Compared with the model group,the arthritic symptoms of mice in the cream group and the futa-lin group were relieved and the arthritis index score was reduced;the bone density of the mice's hind paws improved,effectively relieving osteopo-rosis;the expression of IL-17,IL-1β and TNF-αmRNA(PCR)in the ankle joint tissue was signifi-cantly reduced(P＜0.05);the immunohistochemical results showed that the relative expression of OPG protein was increased(P＜0.05),the relative expres-sion of RANKL protein decreased(P＜0.01).HE re-sults showed that synovial cell enlargement was significantly improved,mild inflammatory cell infil-tration,synovial hyperplasia was not obvious;the number of broken bone was reduced,articular car-tilage destruction was significantly improved and relieved,and the thickness of cartilage layer was significantly increased.CONCLUSION:Ancestral hemp poultice relieves local symptoms of RA,re-duces the expression of inflammatory factors and attenuates the inflammatory response,possibly by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and activation through modulation of the OPG/RANKL signalling axis,which further ameliorates the biological ef-fects of articular bone and cartilage destruction.

Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory back pain.Its pathological features mainly include inflammation,bone destruction,and pathologic new bone formation.The etiology of AS is complex,and it may be related to genetics,infections,the environment,and intestinal flora.Its pathogenesis has not yet been clarified.In recent years,osteoimmunology,as a new theme in the study of inflammatory arthritis,plays an important role in the pathogenesis and development of AS,which was embodied in the inflammatory response and imbalance of bone metabolism.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the characteristics of multiple pathways,multiple components,multiple targets and multiple levels.TCM can improve the inflammatory response and bone metabolism imbalance of AS by regulating the osteoblasts of the skeletal system and the related factors of the immune system,thus to prevent and control AS.For this reason,the paper summarizes the role of bone immunology in the pathogenesis of AS,and reviews the current status of research on the intervention of TCM in bone immunology for the treatment of AS,with a view to providing certain references for the future clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of AS.