Triptolide Improves Rheumatoid Arthritis by Regulating M1/M2 Balance Through the miR-223/CREBZF Axis.

Authors

Xiao-Bao Liu, Ying-Xing Xiang, Jia-Hao Yang, Fang-Shu Zou, Mei-Feng Shi, Xue-Qing Chen, Chang-Song Lin, Qiang Xu, Min-Ying Liu

Published in

The American journal of Chinese medicine. Pages 1-23. Aug 21, 2026. Epub Aug 21, 2026.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and progressive joint damage. This study investigated the role of microRNA-223 (miR-223) in RA and evaluated the therapeutic effects of triptolide (Tri), a diterpenoid epoxide derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Tripterygium wilfordii. A collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model was used to assess the effects of Tri and methotrexate (MTX). Micro-computed tomography, histological staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and western blot analysis were used to evaluate joint damage, inflammation, cytokine profiles, miR-223 expression, and the function of CREBZF, a downstream target of miR-223. CIA mice exhibited marked joint inflammation, swelling, bone erosion, and inflammatory cell infiltration, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and elevated miR-223 expression. Tri and MTX ameliorated these abnormalities and protected against bone erosion and inflammation. Tri suppressed the disease-associated elevation of miR-223, attenuated pathological fibroblast-like synoviocyte (RA-FLS) phenotypes, and shifted cytokine profiles toward an anti-inflammatory state. Dual-luciferase reporter and AGO2-RIP-qPCR assays supported direct regulation of CREBZF by miR-223. Tri restored CREBZF expression and inhibited NF-κ B signaling, thereby reducing RA-FLS proliferation and promoting apoptosis. These findings indicate that Tri ameliorates RA, at least partly, through the miR-223/CREBZF axis and identify this pathway as a potential therapeutic target.

PMID:
42623133
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 21 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.