Fig. 8

Effect of curcumin on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is mediated by α7 nAChR. Rats were intradermally injected with type II collagen (CII) to induce CIA. Curcumin (Cur, 100 mg/kg) were orally given daily 2 weeks. Selective α7 nAChR antagonist α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX, 1 μg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected 10 min before Cur administration. Blood was collected 1 h after treatment on day 28, and the cytokines in serum were assessed by ELISA. a Body weight changes, arthritis index scores and hind paw swelling. The volumes of hind paws were measured using a plethysmometer. b Representative hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections of ankles (original magnification ×100), representative morphology photographs of hind paws of CIA rats. c Histological scores of ankle joint sections. d The levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17A) in serum were assessed by ELISA. Data were shown as means ± S.E.M. for each group (n = 6). ^##p < 0.01 vs. normal group; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. model group; ^$p < 0.05, ^$$p < 0.01 vs. Cur group