摘要Andrographolide sulfonate(AS)is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata(Burm.f.)Nees,and has been approved for several decades in China.The present study aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic application and possible mech-anisms of AS in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Results indicated that administration of AS by injection or gavage significantly reduced the paw swelling,improved body weights,and attenuated pathological changes in joints of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.Additionally,the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β in the ser-um and ankle joints were reduced.Bioinformatics analysis,along with the spleen index and measurements of IL-17 and IL-10 levels,suggested a potential relationship between AS and Th17 cells under arthritic conditions.In vitro,AS was shown to block Th17 cell differenti-ation,as evidenced by the reduced percentages of CD4+IL-17A+T cells and decreased expres-sion levels of RORγt,IL-17A,IL-17F,IL-21,and IL-22,without affecting the cell viability and apoptosis.This effect was attributed to the limited glycolysis,as indicated by metabolomics analysis,reduced glucose uptake,and pH measurements.Further investigation revealed that AS might bind to hexokinase2(HK2)to down-regulate the protein levels of HK2 but not gly-ceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH)or pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2),and over-expression of HK2 reversed the inhibition of AS on Th17 cell differentiation.Furthermore,AS impaired the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)sig-nals in vivo and in vitro,which was abolished by the addition of lactate.In conclusion,AS sig-nificantly improved adjuvant-induced arthritis(AIA)in rats by inhibiting glycolysis-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT to restrain Th17 cell differentiation.