Effect of Ermiao Recipe (二妙方) with medicinal guide Angelicae Pubescentis Radix on promoting the homing of bone marrow stem cells to treat cartilage damage in osteoarthritis rats
Authors: Xiao-ping Ma
Guo-jing Dai
Na Lin
Wei-heng Chen
Qian Liu
Ying Xu
Li Li
Journal: Chinese journal of integrative medicine (2014)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: Ermiao Recipe; Angelicae Pubescentis Radix; bone marrow stem cells; osteoarthritis; rats
Affiliations: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.

Abstract:  Objective: To investigate the effect of Ermiao Recipe (, EMR) with medicinal guide Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR) on the homing of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) to focal zone in osteoarthritis (OA) rats. Methods: Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the sham-operated, model, EMR, and EMR plus APR groups (12 rats in each group). The OA rat model was induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection and medial meniscus resection. All rats were injected with recombinant human granulocyte colonystimulating factor [rhG-CSF, 30 μg/(kg·d) for continuous 7 days], and rats in the EMR and EMR plus APR groups were treated with EMR or EMR plus APR at 1.6 or 1.9 g/(kg·d) for 3 or 6 weeks, respectively. Cartilage histopathologic changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Chondrocytes apoptosis and cartilage matrix components were tested by transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling assay and special staining. Interleukin-1β (IL-1 β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or radioimmunoassay assay. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34), and stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1) were measured by immunohistochemistry assay. Results: EMR and EMR plus APR significantly inhibited articular cartilage damage and synovium inflammation in OA rats at 3 or 6 weeks of treatment, the most obvious changes in these parameters were found in the EMR plus APR group. At 6 weeks, compared with EMR treatment, EMR plus APR remarkably inhibited chondrocytes apoptosis and the release of IL-1β and TNF-α, obviously decreased MMP-13 expression, and significantly increased expressions of proteoglycan, collagen, type II collagen and TIMP-1, serum levels of BMP-2 and TGF-β1 as well as expressions of BrdU, CD34 and SDF-1 in cartilage articular (P&lt;0.01 or P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: The medicinal guide APR improved the therapeutic effects of EMR on OA rats by promoting directional homing of BMSCs to focal zone. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 4. Some elements appear to be visible multiple times within the same panel or between panels. Boxes of the same color focus attention to some of these elements. ![file] , 
 Figure 6. Some elements appear to be visible multiple times within the same panel or between panels. Boxes of the same color focus attention to some of these elements. ![file] , 
 The figures and experiments from this paper show an extensive overlap with another paper by the same first last author, which was published around the same time. That paper is: Xu Y et al. J Tradit Chin Med 2014, DOI: 10.1016 s0254-6272(15)30050-9. See: https: pubpeer.com publications C01D32C98D76BC416184BB355229A7 In that paper, the panels show Sham, Model, EM (presumed to be the same as EMR) and EMR + HAM. So the first three treatment groups are identical, but the 4th group is a different treatment. Here is a comparison of the Figures 4 from both papers to show the similarities within and between the panels. But, as Hoya Camphorifolia pointed out in the companion paper the similarities are also extensive between Figures 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 of both papers. ![file] , 
 An additional finding in Figure 7, in the CD34 panels of the Sham group, marked in purple. The same similarity is also present in its companion figure from the other paper. ![file] ,