Nuciferine ameliorates osteoarthritis: An in vitro and in vivo study

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal disease and a leading cause of pain and disability. A key hallmark of OA is cartilage degradation, which occurs due to an imbalance between the synthesis and degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Interleukin-1β(IL-1β) has been reported to regulate ECM metabolism. Nuciferine (Nuc), a natural peptide extracted from the lotus leaf, possesses several significant pharmacological properties. However, the anti-inflammation of Nuc in OA has not been reported. In this study, ELISA and Western blot analyses were used to measure the production of inflammatory mediators in IL-1β-Induced mouse chondrocytes. Additionally, mice with or without surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) were treated with intra-articular injection of Nuc. We found that Nuc significantly reduces the level of iNOS, PEG2, and IL-6 in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes. Furthermore, Nuc can ameliorate the development of OA in mice. Mechanistically, we found that the chondrocyte-protective effects of Nuc occur via the PTEN/NF-κB pathway. These findings suggest that Nuc could be a potential therapeutic agent for improving OA development.