Exploring Mechanism and Safety of Solanum Ointment in Treating Traumatic Synovitis of Knee Based on NLRP3 Inflammasome
10.3870/j.issn.1672-0741.24.09.025
- VernacularTitle:基于NLRP3炎症小体探讨龙葵素膏治疗膝关节创伤性滑膜炎的机制及安全性
- Author:
Jiangfeng HAO
1
;
Ping'an CHU
;
Dong LIU
Author Information
1. 甘肃中医药大学中医临床学院,兰州 730000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
skin irritation test;
skin allergy test;
traumatic synovitis of the knee;
α-solanine;
NLRP3 inflamma-some
- From:
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong
2025;54(3):320-327,342
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the safety of Solanine ointment for skin application,and to investigate its mechanism of action in treating traumatic synovitis of the knee joint in a rabbit model.Methods Sixteen New Zealand white rabbits were di-vided into four groups(n=4 per group):intact skin single-dose group,intact skin multiple-dose group,damaged skin single-dose group,and damaged skin multiple-dose group.The skin irritation of Solanine ointment was assessed by comparing the skin on both sides of the spine in rabbits with intact and damaged skin.Eighteen guinea pigs were divided into three groups(n=6 per group):blank group,Solanine ointment group,and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene(DNCB)group.The blank group received the vehi-cle,the Solanine ointment group received Solanine ointment,and the DNCB group received DNCB.The skin allergic reactions were observed.Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into five groups(n=6 per group):blank group,model group,Solanine ointment low-dose group,Solanine ointment high-dose group,and Voltaren group.Except for the blank group,a traumatic synovitis model was established in the other groups.After topical application of the ointments,changes in knee joint circumference and skin temperature were measured.Pathological changes in knee joint synovial tissue were observed using he-matoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Joint effusion and abnormal blood flow signals were detected using color Doppler ultra-sound.Levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the synovial fluid were tested using ELISA.Protein expressions of NLRP3,pro-Caspase-1,and cleaved-Caspase-1 in the synovial tissue were determined using Western blotting.Results Skin irritation test showed that a single application of Solanine ointment on intact skin caused no irritation.Mild irritation was observed on the first day of multi-ple applications on intact skin,which subsided by the third day.Both single and multiple applications of Solanine ointment caused moderate irritation on damaged skin.Skin allergy test showed that no allergic reaction was observed in the guinea pigs of either the Solanine ointment group or the blank group.Compared with the blank group,the model group exhibited significantly increased knee joint circumference and skin temperature(both P＜0.01),obvious synovial thickening with a large amount of ef-fusion,inflammatory infiltration of synovial cells dominated by plasma cells and lymphocytes,disordered tissue arrangement,sig-nificantly elevated levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the synovial fluid(all P＜0.01),and significantly increased protein expression of NLRP3,pro-Caspase-1,and cleaved-Caspase-1 in the synovial tissue(all P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,each drug treatment group showed significantly decreased knee joint circumference and skin temperature(all P＜0.01),improved synovial thickness,effusion,and inflammatory infiltration,significantly reduced levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the synovial fluid(all P＜0.01).Except for the low-dose Solanine ointment group,high-dose Solanine ointment group and the Voltaren group showed sig-nificant reductions in protein expression of NLRP3,pro-Caspase-1,and cleaved-Caspase-1 in the synovial tissue(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Solanine ointment exhibits mild irritation on intact skin and moderate irritation on damaged skin,therefore it is unsuitable for application on broken skin.There is no skin sensitization after application.Solanine ointment can alleviate the pro-gression of traumatic synovitis of the knee joint,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the NLRP3 inflamma-some.
