Magnoflorine ameliorates cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis through inhibition of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species–mediated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome

This study investigated the role of magnoflorine (MAG) on cartilage protection in osteoarthritis. <i>In vitro</i> studies showed that MAG decreased the expression of inflammatory factors and inhibited extracellular matrix degradation in lipopolysaccharide- and ATP-stimulated C28/I2 cells. Importantly, MAG reduced the levels of pyroptosis-related proteins, including NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-caspase 1, GSDMD-N, IL-18, and IL-1β. Mechanistically, MAG reduced mtROS production and inhibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. <i>In vivo</i> study demonstrated that sodium iodoacetate-induced cartilage degradation and inflammatory factor release were reversed by MAG. Overall, MAG could inhibit mtROS-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation by suppressing mitochondrial dysfunction to ameliorate osteoarthritis.