Nuciferine alleviates collagen-induced arthritic in rats by inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of human arthritis-derived fibroblast-like synoviocytes and rectifying Th17/Treg imbalance

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is a chronic autoimmune disorder marked by persistent synovial inflammation and joint degradation,posing challenges in the development of effective treatments.Nuciferine,an alkaloid found in lotus leaf,has shown promising anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects,yet its efficacy in RA treatment remains unexplored.This study investigated the antiproliferative effects of nuciferine on the MH7A cell line,a human RA-derived fibroblast-like synoviocyte,revealing its ability to inhibit cell proliferation,promote apoptosis,induce apoptosis,and cause G1/S phase arrest.Additionally,nuciferine significantly reduced the migration and invasion capabilities of MH7A cells.The therapeutic potential of nuciferine was further evaluated in a collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)rat model,where it markedly alleviated joint swelling,synovial hyperplasia,cartilage injury,and inflammatory infiltration.Nuciferine also improved collagen-induced bone erosion,decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and serum immunoglobulins(IgG,IgG1,IgG2a),and restored the balance between T helper(Th)17 and regulatory T cells in the spleen of CIA rats.These results indicate that nuciferine may offer therapeutic advantages for RA by decreasing the proliferation and invasiveness of FLS cells and correcting the Th17/Treg cell imbalance in CIA rats.