Effect of Achyranthes aspera Leaf Extract on Lipid Peroxidation, Antioxidant Status, Hepatic and Inflammatory Markers in Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Rats

We investigated the effect of Achyranthes aspera leaf extract on Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. To develop arthritis, Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) (100 mu L) was injected intradermally into the right hind paw of Swiss albino Wistar rats. A. aspera was orally administered to arthritic animals for 8 days (11th to 18th days) after adjuvant injection. A. aspera was examined by evaluating hepatic indicators (AST, ALT and ALP), oxidative stress markers (TBARS and LOOH) and antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx and GSH) in serum, plasma and spleen tissue as well as inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10, COX-2, NF kappa B, I kappa B-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-1 beta, iNOS) genes expression by PCR array in CFA-induced rats. The activities/levels of hepatic, lipid peroxidative and inflammatory markers were dramatically enhanced in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats, while antioxidant enzymes were significantly lowered. Oral administration of A. aspera reversed these biochemical alterations observed in CFA-induced rats. Our results demonstrated that A. aspera possesses antiinflammatory and anti-arthritic activity on CFA-induced arthritic rats.