Objective:To investigate the effect of total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. on rat model of adjuvant arthritis ( AA) . Methods:Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups:the normal control group, the model control group, the positive control group ( indomethacin, 10 mg?kg-1 ) , high, medium and low dose groups of total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. with ten rats in each group. The rat model of AA was established with Freund's complete adjuvant and the effects of drugs on body weight and foot swelling of AA rats were observed. After the animals were sacrificed, the serum levels of superoxide dismutase ( SOD) , mal-onaldehyde ( MDA) , nitric oxide ( NO) and glutathion peroxidase ( GSH-PX) were determined. The serum levels of interleukin-8 ( IL-8), IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. Results:On the 8th day of drug administration, total sapo-nins from Clematis florida Thunb. could effectively alleviate the changes in the body weight and foot swelling of the rats to a certain ex-tent when compared with the model control group (P <0. 05 or P <0. 01). There were no significant differences between the high dose group and the positive control group (P>0. 05), and there were significant differences between the low dose group and the high/medium dose groups (P<0. 05). The levels of SOD, MDA, NO and GSH-PX in serum of AA rats were significantly affected by the total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. . Except for NO indicator of low dose group, the differences between the other groups and the model control group were statistically significant (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01), and there were significant differences in MDA, NO and GSH-PX levels between high dose group and low dose group (P<0. 05). Compared with those in the model control group, the serum levels of IL-8 and TNF-αin each total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. group significantly decreased and the content of IL-10 sig-nificantly increased (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). There was no significant differences in the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α between the high dose group and the positive control group (P>0. 05), and the differences in IL-8 and IL-10 between high dose group and low dose group were statistically significant (P<0. 05). Conclusion: The total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. have good therapeutic effect on AA, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the reduction of lipid peroxidation and the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Objective:To investigate the effect of total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. on rat model of adjuvant arthritis ( AA) . Methods:Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups:the normal control group, the model control group, the positive control group ( indomethacin, 10 mg?kg-1 ) , high, medium and low dose groups of total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. with ten rats in each group. The rat model of AA was established with Freund's complete adjuvant and the effects of drugs on body weight and foot swelling of AA rats were observed. After the animals were sacrificed, the serum levels of superoxide dismutase ( SOD) , mal-onaldehyde ( MDA) , nitric oxide ( NO) and glutathion peroxidase ( GSH-PX) were determined. The serum levels of interleukin-8 ( IL-8), IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. Results:On the 8th day of drug administration, total sapo-nins from Clematis florida Thunb. could effectively alleviate the changes in the body weight and foot swelling of the rats to a certain ex-tent when compared with the model control group (P <0. 05 or P <0. 01). There were no significant differences between the high dose group and the positive control group (P>0. 05), and there were significant differences between the low dose group and the high/medium dose groups (P<0. 05). The levels of SOD, MDA, NO and GSH-PX in serum of AA rats were significantly affected by the total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. . Except for NO indicator of low dose group, the differences between the other groups and the model control group were statistically significant (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01), and there were significant differences in MDA, NO and GSH-PX levels between high dose group and low dose group (P<0. 05). Compared with those in the model control group, the serum levels of IL-8 and TNF-αin each total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. group significantly decreased and the content of IL-10 sig-nificantly increased (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). There was no significant differences in the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α between the high dose group and the positive control group (P>0. 05), and the differences in IL-8 and IL-10 between high dose group and low dose group were statistically significant (P<0. 05). Conclusion: The total saponins from Clematis florida Thunb. have good therapeutic effect on AA, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the reduction of lipid peroxidation and the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines.