Figure 1.

Effects of natural product mixture (Ryupunghwan (RPH)) on the expression or amount of osteoarthritis (OA)-related molecules or cyclooxygenase (COX) in IL-1β-stimulated chondrosarcoma SW1353 cells (SW1353 cells). SW1353 cells (1 × 10⁶ cells) were stimulated with 20 μg/mL IL-1β for 24 h. Natural product mixture (RPH, 50, 100, 300 μg/mL) or ginsenoside (Gin, 300 mg/mL) was pretreated for 1 h before IL-1β. The expression of MMP13, COX-1, COX-2, TNF-α or IκBα was determined in protein or mRNA extracts isolated from the cell lysates using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or Western blot, respectively. Amount of MMP13 was determined in the cell supernatant isolated from IL-1β-stimulated cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. (A) Expression of MMP13 and OA-related molecules (TNF-α, IL-1β, or IκBα). (B) Amount of MMP13. (C) Expression of COX1/2. #, Numbers below band images show the mean values (n = 4) obtained from the ratio of band density of each group versus those of the control and loading control GAPDH or actin. Results for ELISA assay represent the mean ± SEM (n = 4) obtained from four independent experiments performed in triplicates. NC, negative control; IL-1β (interleukin 1 beta), IL-1β-stimulated SW1353 cells; Gin, ginsenoside. ***, p < 0.001 versus the NC. ⁺⁺, p < 0.01; ⁺⁺⁺, p < 0.001 versus the IL-1β stimulation.