Inhibition of type II collagen-induced arthritis in rats by triptolide

• Published in: International journal of immunopharmacology Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 389 - 400
• Main Authors: Gu, Wen-Zhen, Brandwein, Sydney R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Science 01-08-1998
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Antibodies - blood; Arthritis, Experimental - immunology; Arthritis, Experimental - pathology; Arthritis, Experimental - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; Bones, joints and connective tissue. Antiinflammatory agents; Cattle; Collagen - antagonists & inhibitors; Collagen - immunology; Collagen-induced arthritis; Diterpenes - therapeutic use; Epoxy Compounds; Female; Hindlimb; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - chemically induced; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - immunology; Immunosuppression; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; In vivo animal models; Inflammation; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenanthrenes; Pilot Projects; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Rheumatoid arthritis; Immunosuppression; Inflammation; Collagen-induced arthritis; Rheumatoid arthritis; In vivo animal models; Immunopathology; Animal model; Immune response; Rat; Toxicity; Rodentia; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Tolerance; Autoimmune disease; Inflammatory joint disease; Arthritis; Biological activity; Immunomodulator; Vertebrata; Chinese medicine; Mammalia; Treatment; Animal; Collagen; Antirheumatic agent
• ISSN: 0192-0561; 1879-3495
• DOI: 10.1016/S0192-0561(98)00035-6

The effects of purified triptolide, a diterpenoid triepoxide compound derived from the Chinese traditional anti-rheumatic medicinal plant extract,
Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f (TWHf), were determined in type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. Lewis rats were immunized with bovine type II collagen and treated with purified triptolide 0.1 mg\kg\day or control (vehicle for triptolide) by daily gavage feedings for 28 days. Triptolide was well-tolerated with no evidence of toxicity. Treatment with triptolide resulted in significant delay in time to onset of arthritis (
P = 0.039), as well as significantly decreased arthritis incidence (
P = 0.024), clinical arthritis severity score (
P < 0.0001), histopathological arthritis severity score (
P < 0.0001), and in vivo cell-mediated immunity to collagen (
P = 0.0004). Triptolide appeared to be a potent immunomodulatory inhibitor of CIA in rats and this may account for the previously observed anti-rheumatic properties of crude extracts of TWHf, although more extensive studies will be needed to confirm these effects.