Abstract

To observe the effect of curcumin treatment on serum inflammatory factors in rats with traumatic arthritis and explores the protective effect of articular surface cartilage in rats with traumatic arthritis. A control group (group A), a model group (group B), and a curcumin group (group C) were randomly chosen. Except for the group A, the curcumin model was established by removing the medial meniscus of the right knee in the other two groups. After the model was successfully established, the group C was intraperitoneally injected with curcumin solution 50 mg/kg, while the group A and B were injected with the same volume of dimethyl sulfoxide solution for 28 d. The levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The arthritis index score of the two groups was calculated, the pathological morphology of articular cartilage was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and the apoptosis rate of knee chondrocytes was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot methods were used to detect the expression of autophagy and apoptosis regulatory molecules Beclin-1, B-cell lymphoma 2, caspase-3, messenger ribonucleic acid and protein in knee cartilage. Curcumin can protect the articular surface cartilage of traumatic arthritis rats by reducing inflammatory factors in serum and regulating the apoptosis and autophagy of articular chondrocytes. Curcumin may be a potential drug for the treatment of traumatic arthritis.