Effects of oral administration of type II collagen on adjuvant arthritis in rats and its mechanisms.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of oral administration of type II collagen (CII) on adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats and its mechanisms, and to compare the effects of CII with those of the Chinese traditional medicine Tripterygium Polyglycoside administered similarly.


METHODS
Arthritis was induced in rats by immunization using Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). After feeding rats either soluble CII or Tripterygium Polyglycoside, changes in degree of articular swelling and articular histological findings were observed in AA rats. Some correlative immunological indexes were measured, including delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, anti-collagen and anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) antibody in serum, and levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in articular steep in rats.


RESULTS
Oral administration of CII was able to alleviate both distinctly articular and general symptoms in AA rats, suppress synovium hyperplasia and inflammatory cells infiltration in arthrosis capsule. The effects brought about by CII were stronger than those by Tripterygium Polyglycoside. Oral administration of CII inhibited antigen-specific immune response, such as DTH and antibody reaction to CII. In addition, the expression of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in joints were locally downregulated.


CONCLUSIONS
The therapeutic effect of oral administration of CII is obvious on adjuvant arthritis in rats. Its remedial mechanisms are likely related to the downregulation of both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, and the suppression of cell immunity.
Hu
Yongxiu
Y
Department of Immunology, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100054, China. yxh601@163.com
Zhao
Wenming
W
Qian
Xianjuan
X
Zhang
Liping
L
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000517:prevention & control; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D029757:Tripterygium; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000906:Antibodies; D024043:Collagen Type II; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma