Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory/Immunomodulatory Effect of <i>Teucrium montanum</i> L. Extract in Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats

The anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory effects of <i>Teucrium montanum</i> L. (TM), a plant distributed in the Mediterranean region, have been insufficiently examined. The effects of the TM ethanol extract were tested in a rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model of rheumatoid arthriti...

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Main Authors: Biljana Bufan, Mirjana Marčetić, Jasmina Djuretić, Ivana Ćuruvija, Veljko Blagojević, Dragana D. Božić, Violeta Milutinović, Radmila Janković, Jelena Sopta, Jelena Kotur-Stevuljević, Nevena Arsenović-Ranin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Biology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/10/818
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Summary:The anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory effects of <i>Teucrium montanum</i> L. (TM), a plant distributed in the Mediterranean region, have been insufficiently examined. The effects of the TM ethanol extract were tested in a rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model of rheumatoid arthritis. LC-MS was used for the phytochemical analysis of the TM extract. <i>Dark Agouti</i> rats were immunized with bovine type II collagen (CII) in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant for CIA, and treated with 100 or 200 mg/kg of TM extract daily via oral administration. Clinical and histopathological evaluations and a flow cytometric analysis of the phenotypic and functional characteristics of splenocytes and draining lymph node cells were performed. The cytokines in the paw tissue culture supernatants and anti-CII antibodies in serum were determined by ELISA. The TM extract, with the dominant components verbascoside and luteolin 7-<i>O</i>-rutinoside, reduced the arthritic score and ankle joint inflammation in CIA rats, promoted the antioxidant profile in serum, and lowered pro-inflammatory TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β production. It suppressed the activation status of CD11b+ cells by lowering CD86, MHCII and TLR-4 expression, and promoted the Th17/T regulatory cell (Tregs) balance towards Tregs. A lower frequency of B cells was accompanied by a lower level of anti-CII antibodies in treated rats. These findings imply the favorable effect of TM extract on the clinical presentation of CIA, suggesting its anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory action and potential therapeutic effect.
ISSN:2079-7737