The anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation effect of velvet antler polypeptides on rabbit osteoarthritic chondrocytes

Background: Deer velvet antler has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It had been noted that deer velvet antler strengthens the body and bone as a general tonic. Aim: To determine the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation effect of total velvet antler polypeptides (tVAPs) extracted from Cervus elaphus Linnaeus on rabbit osteoarthritic chondrocytes (OCs). Methods: OCs were isolated from the rabbit osteoarthritis (OA) model and exposed to 6.25, 12.5 and 25.0 mug/ml of tVAPs for 48 h. And then, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. The level of nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) enzyme activity of cell culture supernatant was tested by kit accordingly. The expression of nuclear factor-kappaB p65 (NF-kappaB p65) was detected by Western blotting. Results: tVAPs significantly reduced ROS level and increased the activities of anti-oxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px. The levels of inflammatory factors such as NO, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were decreased in response to tVAPs in a concentration-dependant manner. The activation of NF-kappaB in tVAP-treated group was also down-regulated. Conclusion: tVAPs could protect OCs of rabbit OA model via anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory activity.