Somatostatin analogue treatment attenuates histological findings of inflammation and increases mRNA expression of interleukin-1 beta in the articular tissues of rats with ongoing adjuvant-induced arthritis

• DOI: 10.1007/s00296-004-0455-z
• Publication Date: 2004-03-25T15:04:00Z
• Authors: Daphna Paran; Devora Kidron; Ami Mayo; Ofer Ziv; Yehuda Chowers; Dan Caspi; Michael Yaron; Haim Paran
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Gene Expression; Octreotide; Arthritis, Experimental; Injections, Intramuscular; Rats; 3. Good health; Disease Models, Animal; 03 medical and health sciences; Treatment Outcome; Rats, Inbred Lew; Animals; Female; Joints; RNA, Messenger; Interleukin-1

Somatostatin is a neuropeptide with modulatory effects on the immune system and the function of synovial cells; it has antiangiogenic and antiproliferative properties. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, histological, and articular tissue cytokine mRNA response to somostatin treatment in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA).Adjuvant-induced arthritis was induced in a total of 68 Lewis rats by immunization with complete Freund's adjuvant. Twenty-four rats were treated with a long-acting somostatin analogue 14 days after disease induction. Twenty-four untreated rats served as controls. The severity of arthritis was scored weekly for 42 days. In a second experiment, 20 rats (ten treated, ten controls) were killed 21 days after treatment for assessment of joint histopathology and articular tissue cytokine mRNA expression.Somatostatin analogue treatment significantly reduced histological scores of early inflammatory changes and increased articular tissue mRNA expression of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta). A trend toward improvement in physical scores of joint inflammation was seen in the treated group. Late destructive changes were not significantly different.Treatment with a somostatin analogue attenuated early inflammatory changes in AIA joints and increased mRNA expression of IL-1beta in the articular tissues of rats with ongoing arthritis. Improvement in the physical findings of joint inflammation was mild.