title: Nucleoprotein Diet Ameliorates Arthritis Symptoms in Mice Transgenic for Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type I (HTLV-1).
abstract: Because rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease, the patients often recognize side-effects due to the medication, alternative therapeutic strategies might potentially offer a clinical advantage. We evaluated the effect of nucleoprotein from salmon soft roe on animal model of arthritis. Mice transgenic for human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1 Tg) were divided into three experimental groups and supplemented on either nucleoprotein-free (nonNP), or 0.6% or 1.2% nucleoprotein mixed (NP0.6 or NP1.2) diet for 3 months. The mice were evaluated arthritis by morphology, and measured with rheumatoid factor (RF). Moreover, macrophages and oxidative metabolites were assessed in the ankle and/or serum. Anti-oxidative potentials in nucleoprotein were determined with biological anti-oxidative potential (BAP) test, and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis. NonNP-diet HTLV-1 Tg mice increased an arthritis symptoms and RF. The symptoms were ameliorated in NP-diet groups. Macrophages detected by F4/80 staining, and oxidative metabolites in the serum and/or joints were clearly decreased in 1.2% NP-diet HTLV-1 Tg mice. Nucleoprotein and DNA-nucleotide, but less protamine, had direct anti-oxidative potency with BAP test and/or ESR in vitro. These observations suggest that dietary nucleoprotein ameliorates arthritis symptoms in HTLV-1 Tg mice and offers hope as an alternative treatment for this debilitating medical condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohtaki
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yofu
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamachi
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwakura
authors.forename: Masaji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shioda