Inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA on inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis through regulating β-arrestin 2

The current study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) on the inflammatory response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explore its mechanism. A total of 50 patients with RA were randomly separated into the control group (15 cases) and the research group (35 cases). The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels in serum were determined, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated from patients with RA and cultured . The effects of the β-arrestin 2 small interfering (si)RNA incubation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation or Tan IIA incubation on TNF-α and IL-6 levels, and the expression levels of β-arrestin 2, NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) and transcription factor p65 (p65) proteins were investigated. Prior to treatment, no significant differences in TNF-α and IL-6 levels in serum of patients with RA were identified between the research and control groups. Following treatment, the TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the serum of patients with RA in the research group were significantly lower compared with those in the research group prior to treatment and those in the control group following treatment (P