Protective effects of harmine on Monosodium Iodoacetate-induced Osteoarthritis in rats: In vitro and in vivo studies

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful and debilitating disease, which is charac-terized by joint pain, swelling, restricted movement, and joint stiffness. It affects more than millions of people worldwide. Objective: In this current work, we aimed to assess the beneficial roles of harmine on the mono-sodium iodoacetate (MI)-induced OA in rats.Methodology: The in vitro studies were carried out in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and administered with 5 and 10 mM of harmine. In in vivo studies, 2.5 mg of MI diluted in 10 ml of saline (9%) was injected into the knee joints of the experimental rats to induce OA. The 25 and 50 mg/kg of harmine was treated one week before the MI injection and continued for 25 days after induction. The paw volume and arthritis score was measured after the completion of treatments. The levels of inflammatory cytokines, PGE-2, and NO in both RAW 264.7 cells and OA-induced rats using the assay kits. The MDA and antioxidants (GSH, CAT, and SOD) levels were assessed using the assay kits. The knee joint tissues were analyzed by histopathological study.