Abstract:The effect of flavonoids extracted from corn (Stigma Maydis) silk (FESM) on gouty arthritic rats was determined in this study. Rats in the treatment group were treated with different quantities of FESM (1, 0.5, and 0.25 g/kg) via gavage for 8 days; rats in the control and model groups were treated with the same amount of distilled water. On the fifth day, rats from the treatment and model groups were injected with sodium urate (2.5 mg/mL) in the right ankle joint cavity one hour after gavage, in order to induce gouty arthritis. The extent of swelling in the right ankle joint, and plasma interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) contents were measured after 72 hours. The right ankle joint was also subjected to an histopathological examination. Rats belonging to the groups treated with high and moderate doses of FESM (1 and 0.5 g/kg) displayed significantly lower right ankle joint swelling (P < 0.01) and plasma IL-1α, IL-6, TNF-α, ICAM-1, and MMP-1 content (P < 0.05), compared to the rats in the control group. Therefore, FESM was believed to improve the degree of pathomorphological changes in the synovial tissue of the joints. These results indicated the beneficial effect of FESM on gouty arthritis.
