title: Treatment of antigen-induced arthritis in rabbits by the intra-articular injection of methylprednisolone, 90Y or chlorambucil.
abstract: Rabbits with a bilateral antigen-induced arthritis were injected intra-articularly (i.a.) in one joint with methylprednisolone (1 mg), 90Y (18.5 MBq) or chlorambucil (1 mg) as a single dose. The severity of arthritis was determined by measuring joint swelling and skin surface temperature, macroscopic and histological changes in the joint being assessed 8 weeks after induction of arthritis when the rabbits were killed. Methylprednisolone injected at the time of antigen challenge or 3 weeks later caused a reduction in joint swelling and temperature (P < 0.05) for 1 to 6 weeks after injection. 90Y had an initial proinflammatory effect lasting several days, but later caused a modest reduction in joint swelling for up to 4 weeks (P < 0.05). Eight weeks after induction of arthritis, neither methylprednisolone nor 90Y-treated joints showed any significant reduction in erosion or histopathology compared with control arthritic joints. Chlorambucil injected 1 week after antigen challenge caused a rapid reduction in joint swelling which was maintained for the duration of the study. Joint surface temperature was reduced to a lesser extent. Eight weeks after induction of arthritis, chlorambucil-treated joints showed a decrease (P < 0.05) in all of the parameters of disease pathology assessed. Treatment with chlorambucil intra-articularly was clearly more effective than with methylprednisolone or 90Y at the doses employed and deserves further study as a potential treatment for chronic synovitis.
authors.affiliation: Drug Delivery Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Foong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits; D015019:Yttrium / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D002699:Chlorambucil; D015019:Yttrium; D008775:Methylprednisolone