Artesunate, an Anti-Malaria Agent, Attenuates Experimental Osteoarthritis by Inhibiting Bone Resorption and CD31^hiEmcn^hi Vessel Formation in Subchondral Bone.

ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and debilitating joint disease worldwide without interventions available to reverse its progression. Artesunate (ART), an anti-malaria agent, possesses diverse biological activities, including the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis and angiogenesis in various cells, but its role in subchondral bone during OA progression is not known. Here, we explored the curative effects of ART on the pathogenesis of OA in anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mice models. We found that ART attenuated articular cartilage degeneration, defined by lowered histologic scoring of OA and retarded calcification of the cartilage zone. Moreover, ART improved the expression of lubricin and aggrecan and reduced the expression of collagen X (Col X) and matrix metalloproteinase-13

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6587439 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature