Serum proteomic analysis of the anti-arthritic effects of sinomenine on rats with collagen-induced arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, which is characterized by inflammatory synovitis, and the subsequent destruction of articular cartilage and bone. Sinomenine is a traditional Chinese medicine, which has been employed as a clinical treatment for RA for several years in China. The present study investigated the anti-arthritic effects of sinomenine on Sprague-Dawley rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). The differentially expressed proteins in serum were measured by proteomic analysis in order to generate a differentially expressed protein network. A total of 320 differentially expressed proteins were detected in the drug-treated group compared with in the control group. In the sinomenine-treated group, 79 differentially expressed proteins were detected compared with in the model group, and among these, 46 proteins were upregulated. Gene ontology analysis revealed that five functions were affected by sinomenine treatment of CIA rats compared with in the model group. In addition, Ingenuity(®) Pathway Analysis was used to measure enriched signaling pathways, which revealed nuclear factor-κB, histones, heat shock proteins and protein kinase B as core proteins, generating ~60 pair associations in the network. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to perform proteomic analysis in sinomenine-treated CIA rats, and the results revealed that numerous targets were involved in the process. In addition, the present study provided a novel approach and evidence for exploring the biological effects of sinomenine. Therefore, the findings of the present study may provide a novel insight into the anti-RA mechanisms of sinomenine, and may justify further exploration into its function in other relevant diseases.