Objective To explore the possible mechanism of Gulinggao（骨灵膏） and its disassembled prescriptions in resisting cartilage injury in osteoarthritis.Methods Randomly divided 60 SD rats into the Gulinggao group

the Gugao（骨膏） group

the Linggao（灵膏） group

the Celecoxib group

the model group and the normal group

with 10 each.All groups except the normal group adopted cold stimulating with plaster fixation method to establish osteoarthritis model.After modeling successfully

the Gulinggao group

the Gugao group and the Linggao group were respectively given Gulinggao

Gugao and Linggao of crude herb 33.31 g/（kg· d） for gavage.The Celecoxib group was given celecoxib 20.83 mg/（kg · d） for gavage.The model group and the normal group was given the same volume normal saline for gavage.Examined the protein expression of aggrecanase4（ADAMTs-4） and aggrecanase5（ADAMTs-5） in cartilage tissue of knee.Examined the levels of interleukin 1β（IL-1β）

tumor necrosis factorα（TNF-α）

prostagladin E

2

（PGE

2

）

cyclooxygenase2（COX-2）

interferonγ（IFN-γ） in synovial membrane and serum.Results Compared with the normal group

the levels of IL-1β

TNF-α

PGE

2

COX-2

IFN-γin serum and synovial membrane of rats in the model group remarkably increased（P

<

0.01）.Compared with the model group

the levels of IL-1β

TNF-α

PGE

2

COX-2

IFN-γ in serum and synovial membrane of rats in the Gulinggao group remarkably decreased（P

<

0.01）.Compared with the Gulinggao group

the levels of IL-1β

TNFa

COX-2

IFN-γ in serum and the levels of IL-1β

COX-2

PGE

2

TNF-α

IFN-γ in synovial membrane of the Gugao group increased（P

<

0.05 or P

<

0.01）

the levels of IL-1β

TNF-α

COX-2

PGE

2

IFN-γ in serum and synovial membrane of the Linggao group increased（P

<

0.05 or P

<

0.01）.Also

the levels of IL-1β

TNF-α

PGE

2

IFN-γ in serum and IL-1β

PGE

2

in synovial membrane of the Celecoxib group increased（P

<

0.01）.ADAMTs-4、ADAMTs-5 protein in knee cartilage tissue of rats in each group all expressed

of which the model group expressed the mostly remarkably.The Gulinggo group expressed the least.Conclusion Gulinggao may reduce osteoarthritis cartilage injury by the following mechanism:decreasing inflammatory cyctokines in serum and synovial membrane

and then preventing the synthesis of aggrecanase in local joint cartilage.And the effect was remarkably superior to its disassembled prescriptions and celecoxib.