title: Pharmacological studies of antigen-induced arthritis in BALB/c mice. II. The effects of second-line antirheumatic drugs and cytotoxic agents on the histopathological changes.
abstract: The effects of treatment with second-line antirheumatic drugs and cytotoxic agents on the severity of experimental monoarticular arthritis in BALB/c mice have been investigated. The arthritis was assessed histologically in terms of synovitis and erosions of cartilage and bone. Azathioprine (20 mg/kg) and sulphasalazine (10-30 mg/kg oral; 30-100 mg/kg i.p.) produced significant suppression of synovitis and erosions when administered daily for 4 weeks commencing 2 weeks after induction of the arthritis. Dapsone (1-10 mg/kg) and to a lesser extent methotrexate (2 mg/kg) produced some suppression of erosive disease when administered daily for 4 weeks commencing 2 weeks after induction of the arthritis but this failed to reach statistical significance. Chloroquine, D-penicillamine and sodium aurothiomalate all failed to have any effect on the disease with any of the treatment schedules used. Auranofin had no effect on the disease when treatment commenced 2 weeks after intra-articular injection but produced variable suppression at high doses when administered from the day of intra-articular injection.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003622:Dapsone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D002738:Chloroquine; D003622:Dapsone; D010396:Penicillamine