title: Inhibition of septic arthritis by local administration of taurine chloramine, a product of activated neutrophils.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Taurine is an amino acid able to react with hypochlorous acid, produced endogenously by neutrophils, resulting in the more stable and less toxic taurine chloramine (Tau-Cl). Since Tau-Cl has been shown to down-regulate the production of proinflammatory mediators and to exert anti-bacterial properties, we investigated the efficacy of Tau-Cl treatment for infectious arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The murine model of hematogenous septic arthritis involved intravenous injection of a single dose of Staphylococcus aureus. Tau-Cl was administered by daily intraperitoneal injections. In another experiment S. aureus and Tau-Cl were injected intra-articularly. Evaluation of arthritis was performed clinically and histologically. The effect of Tau-Cl on bacterial growth in vitro was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth of staphylococci, including the methicillin-resistant strain 67-0, was inhibited by Tau-Cl. Mice injected with bacteria and Tau-Cl locally in the joint exhibited significantly fewer arthritic lesions. In contrast, there were no obvious differences between Tau-Cl-treated animals and controls with regard to clinical or histological signs of arthritis when bacteria and Tau-Cl were administered systemically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that Tau-Cl exerts an inhibitory effect on the development of bone and cartilage damage in the infected joint when administered intra-articularly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Göteborg University, Sweden. margareta.verdrengh@rheuma.gu.se
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verdrengh
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarkowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D013654:Taurine; C043410:N-chlorotaurine