Gastrodin Ameliorates Knee Joint Inflammation and Pain in Osteoarthritis Rats and Prevents Chondrocyte Injury by Regulating PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 Pathway

Abstract

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of gastrodin. However, its specific role and mechanism in the context of osteoarthritis (OA) remain unclear.Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the function and mechanism of gastrodin in both in vivo and in vitro OA models.Materials and Methods: In this study, the targets of gastrodin against osteoarthritis were analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The effect of gastrodin on neutrophil infiltration and inflammatory cytokines in OA synovial tissue was evaluated using H&E staining. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined using ELISA and Q-PCR. The extracellular matrix degradation-related proteins and PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 signaling pathway were tested using western blotting.Results: Bioinformatics analysis predicted that the target of gastrodin against OA might act on the FoxO pathway. The use of gastrodin resulted in a significant reduction in the infiltration of neutrophils in the synovial tissue of rats, as observed through H&E staining. Additionally, gastrodin was found to attenuate IL-1β-induced inhibition of chondrocyte viability, proinflammatory cytokine production, and extracellular matrix degradation. This effect can be attributed to the suppression of PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 by gastrodin.Conclusion: These findings indicate that gastrodin is a treatment for OA.

Keywords: Gastrodin; osteoarthritis; inflammation; PI3K/AKT/FoxO1