Suppression of collagen-induced arthritis in rats by continuous administration of Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang (Da-Fang-Feng-Tang)

Although Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang(an herbal formula of 15 herbs)-treated rats ex hibited a mild inflammation, the significant histological changes including a marked infiltration of inflammatory cells in the synovium and damaged ar ticular cartilages were not observed. The staining abilities of the cartila ge such as periodic acid Schiff's reaction in the interterritorial matrix o f hyaline cartilage, alcian blue and aldehyde fuchsin staining in the capsu le of chondrocytes and in the interterritorial matrix of articular cartilag e and Con A, sWGA and BSL-1 affinities of chondrocytes tended to decrease i n the rats with collagen-induced arthritis compared with normal rats. Decre ased stainabilities and affinities were almost recovered in the Dae-Bang-Po ong-Tang-treated rats. In the collagen-induced rats, WOS expression in the synovial lining cells and subsynovial tissue were significantly increased a nd numerous strong immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in the subsynovia l tissue. Somewhat decreased immunoreaction of NOS was shown in the synovia l lining cells and subsynovial tissue of Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang-treated rats. It was concluded that Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang showed a notable protection again st histological changes and histochemical staining, and it acted as an inhi bitor of WOS expression. Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang may be used as a complementary therapeutic agent to alleviate the rheumatoid arthritis.