title: Combined effects of bucillamine and etanercept on a rat type II collagen-induced arthritis model.
abstract: The combined effects of bucillamine (Buc) and etanercept (ETN) on a rat model of type II collagen (CII)-induced arthritis (CIA) after treatment onset were investigated. In the combination treatment, rats received Buc 30 mg/kg orally administered once daily from the onset of arthritis or from 4 days after the onset of arthritis and ETN 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneously administered once on the day of onset. The effects of monotherapy with Buc and ETN, respectively, and of Buc + ETN combination therapy on the resulting polyarthritis were evaluated by histopathological analyses and measurements of hindpaw volumes, serum anti-collagen antibody and immunoglobulin levels, and cytokine levels. The Buc + ETN therapeutic combination reduced hindpaw swelling, synovial proliferation, bone destruction, new bone formation, and inflammatory cell infiltration in CIA. Montherapy with Buc showed a tendency to ameliorate these symptoms, while monotherapy with ETN reduced hindpaw swelling at 4 days after administration but did not maintain treatment efficacy toward the end of the experimental period. Histopathological findings did not reveal any efficacy of the ETN therapy. ETN alone increased the serum immunoglobulin levels, while its combination with Buc reduced these levels. Similar results were obtained for serum anti-CII antibody titers. The Buc + ETN combination treatment also reduced serum interleuking (IL)-1alpha and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and tended to reduce serum IL-1beta and IL-6 levels. These results suggest that a combination therapy of Buc and ETN may be effective for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Center, Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Ikoma, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Setoguchi
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Katsuta
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D003545:Cysteine; D000068800:Etanercept; C026535:bucillamine