Scorpio and Scolopendra attenuate inflammation and articular damage in rats with collagen-induced arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a treatment-refractory chronic autoimmune disease. The therapeutic goals of RA are remission of clinical symptoms and increase functional ability by restrain inflammatory and disordered immune response. Scorpio and Scolopendra (SS) in Chinese pharmacopoeia are usually used to treat RA. However, its mechanism is not fully defined. Scorpio and Scolopendra (SS) are two traditional Chinese medicines, which are generally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China. However, the mechanism is so far unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects and mechanisms of SS in attenuating inflammation and joint injury in collagen-induced arthritis in rats. RA was induced in Wistar rats by injection of collagen, meanwhile, the rats were administrated daily either SS (0.4g/kg, 0.2g/kg, and 0.1g/kg) or vehicle (physiological saline) for 42 days. The therapeutic effect of SS on RA was evaluated by pathological methods. T lymphocyte subsets and anti-collagen type II (CII) antibody were tested in peripheral blood. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were assessed in tissue homogenate of fresh joints. The inflammation and articular damage in SS powder-treated rats were attenuated significantly. In addition, SS powder was revealed to modulate the equilibrium of T lymphocyte subsets, down-regulate TNF-α and IL-1β, up-regulate IL-4 and IL-10, and significantly suppress the level of anti-CII antibody. Scorpio and Scolopendra, when used as a combination, reveal desirable effect for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and this beneficial effect may be accomplished through normalization of T lymphocyte subsets and the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines.