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Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness
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Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness

Published on: March 18, 2022

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Perillyl alcohol promotes autophagy by suppressing the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling pathway in osteoarthritic

Duo Zhao1, Jiean Nong2, Xiaofeng Li1

  • 1Department of Spine and Osteopathy Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China.

Scientific Reports
|July 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Perillyl alcohol (POH), derived from Chinese herbal medicine, shows therapeutic potential for osteoarthritis (OA). POH regulates autophagy via the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, reducing inflammation and protecting against cartilage degeneration.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease marked by chondrocyte death and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation.
  • Current OA treatments offer symptomatic relief but do not address the disease's root causes.
  • Autophagy plays a crucial role in OA by inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis and degeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the therapeutic potential of Perillyl alcohol (POH) in mitigating OA progression.
  • To explore the mechanism by which POH regulates autophagy and its impact on the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.
  • To evaluate POH's anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to protect chondrocytes and ECM.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed cell viability and chondrocyte phenotype.
  • Measured the expression of molecules involved in autophagy and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway.
  • Quantified inflammatory cytokine expression and ECM integrity.

Main Results:

  • POH significantly inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
  • POH treatment maintained chondrocyte phenotype and protected against ECM degeneration.
  • Evidence suggests POH's anti-inflammatory effects are mediated by regulating autophagy through the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway.

Conclusions:

  • POH demonstrates a therapeutic effect on arthritis, suggesting its potential as a novel OA treatment.
  • POH's mechanism involves modulating autophagy via the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.
  • POH represents a promising candidate for future osteoarthritis therapies.
Keywords:
AutophagyOsteoarthritisPI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling pathwayPerillyl alcohol

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