The Role of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Omega-3 Fatty Acids on TNF-α and Joint Inflammation in an Animal Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Published: April 1, 2019 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2019/40947.12787
Shweta Singh, Rajendra Nath, Rishi Pal, Anju Mehrotra, Promod Kumar Singh, Rakesh Kumar Dixit, Sarvesh Singh, Rahul Kumar
1. Junior Resident, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2. Professor, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
3. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
4. Senior Research Assistant, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
5. Research Assistant, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
6. Professor, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
7. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
8. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Rahul Kumar,
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow-226003, Uttar Pradesh, India.
E-mail: rahulkgmu@gmail.com
Introduction: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder characterised by progressive joint destruction leading to severe disability. The existing management of RA includes Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) and biological such as Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) inhibitors but search for alternative and safer therapy is still going on.
Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of the combination of Withania somnifera (WS) and omega-3 fatty acids on TNF alpha level and joint histopathology in the treatment of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) induced rheumatoid arthritis in a rat model.
Materials and Methods: Healthy adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups containing six rats in each group (n=36). Group I served as arthritis control, Group II and III received WS in dose of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg respectively. Group IV received Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in dose of 100 mg/kg. The combination of WS (1000 mg/kg) and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (100 mg/kg) was given to rats of group V. Group VI served as standard treatment group and received Indomethacin 3 mg/kg. Arthritis was induced in groups II to VI by CFA. TNF-α was determined on day 0, 10 and 21. On day 21 all rats were sacrificed and inflamed limbs were excised above the ankle joints and examined for a pathological finding of RA. The data was analysed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett’s test and Tukey test. The Dunnett’s test compares each mean to a control mean and simultaneous comparison between all other pairs was done by Tukey test.
Results: WS in both doses showed significant reduction in TNF-α (p<0.001). Among all the treated groups, maximum mean percent TNF-α reduction in group VI (-65.65%) and minimum in group II (-37.35%) was found. Group V containing combination of WS and Omega-3 fatty acid showed a higher percent reduction in TNF-α and minimal cell infiltration as compared with groups II, III and IV.
Conclusion: WS and omega-3 fatty acids suppress the changes produced due to adjuvant induced arthritis and combination of WS and omega-3 fatty acids was more effective than individual drugs alone.
[
FULL TEXT ] | [ PDF]