Acupotomy ameliorates knee osteoarthritis-related collagen deposition and fibrosis in rabbit skeletal muscle through the TGF-β/Smad pathway  

作　　者：Tingyao Hu Einar Khavaza Chuxi Liang Longfei Xing Xilin Chen Yue Xu Weiwei Ma Farid Mokhtari Juan Lu Changqing Guo 

机构地区：[1]School of Acupuncture,Moxibustion and Tuina,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Beijing 102488,China [2]Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Peking University People's Hospital,Beijing 100044,China [3]The Fifth College of Clinical Medicine,Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou 511436,China [4]Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation,Guangdong Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou 510260,China [5]Traditional Clinic,Shahid Beheshti Medical University,Tehran 1698633631,Iran [6]Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University,Shenzhen 510515,China

出　　处：《Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences》2024年第3期376-385,共10页中医科学杂志（英文）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82074523);the National Natural Youth Science Foundation of China(82004448).

摘　　要：Objective:To investigate the effects of acupotomy on skeletal muscle fibrosis and collagen deposition in a rabbit knee osteoarthritis(KOA)model.Methods: Rabbits(n=18)were randomly divided into control,KOA,and KOA+acupotomy(Apo)groups(n=6).The rabbits in the KOA and Apo groups were modeled using the modified Videman's method for 6 weeks.After modeling,the Apo group was subjected to acupotomy once a week for 3 weeks on the vastus medialis,vastus lateralis,rectus femoris,biceps femoris,and anserine bursa tendons around the knee.The behavior of all animals was recorded,rectus femoris tissue was obtained,and histomorphological changes were observed using Masson staining and transmission electron microscopy.The expression of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),Smad 3,Smad 7,fibrillar collagen types I(Col-I)and III(Col-III)was detected using Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results: Histological analysis revealed that acupotomy improved the microstructure and reduced the collagen volume fraction of rectus femoris,compared with the KOA group(P=.034).Acupotomy inhibited abnormal collagen deposition by modulating the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and mRNA,thus preventing skeletal muscle fibrosis.Western blot and RT-PCR analysis revealed that in the Apo group,Col-I,and Col-III protein levels were significantly lower than those in the KOA group(both P<.01),same as Col-I and Col-III mRNA levels(P=.0031;P=.0046).Compared with the KOA group,the protein levels of TGF-β1 and Smad 3 were significantly reduced(both P<.01),as were the mRNA levels of TGF-β1 and Smad 3(P=.0007;P=.0011).Conversely,the levels of protein and mRNA of Smad 7 were significantly higher than that in the KOA group(P<.01;P=.0271).Conclusion: Acupotomy could alleviate skeletal muscle fibrosis and delay KOA progress by inhibiting collagen deposition through the TGF-β/Smad pathway in the skeletal muscle of KOA rabbits.

关 键 词：ACUPOTOMY Knee osteoarthritis Skeletal muscle FIBROSIS Collagen deposition 

分 类 号：R245[医药卫生—针灸推拿学]