Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative
joint diseases that affects millions of people worldwide, mainly the aging population. Despite numerous published reports, little is known about the pathology of this disease, and no feasible treatment plan exists to stop OA progression. Recently, extensive basic and clinical studies have shown that
adipokines play a key role in OA development. Moreover, some drugs associated with
adipokines have shown chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on OA.
Visfatin has been shown to play a detrimental role in the progression of OA. It increases the production of
matrix metalloproteinases and a
disintegrin and
metalloproteinase with
thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS), induces the production of
interleukin (IL)-1β,
IL-6, and
tumor necrosis factor-α, affects the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to adipocytes, and induces
osteophyte formation by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. Although some side effects of chemical
visfatin inhibitors have been reported, they were shown to be successful in the treatment of diabetes,
cancer, and other diseases that can utilize Chinese herbs, further suggesting that similar therapeutic strategies could be used in OA prevention and treatment. Here, we describe the pathophysiological mechanism of
visfatin in OA and discuss some potential pharmacological interventions using Chinese herbs.