Abstract
It was demonstrated that the oriental medication‘Tsu-hi-rei’is clinically useful and effective in treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in China. This effect was supposed to be due to immunomodulation by decreasing of rheumatoid factor and immunoglobulin levels and various parameters of inflammation.
So a basic experiment to investigate its mechanism of action was scheduled by using collageninduced arthritis in DBA/1J mice. From 4 weeks after booster injection of type II collagen, “Tsu-hi-rei”and western medication such as indomethacin and an immunomodulator were given, and their effects were compared by clinical observation, X-ray findings and pathologic examination. Anti-collagen antibody was also measured in each treatment group by ELISA.
“Tsu-hi-rei”showed suppression of collagen-induced arthritis in frequency and severity. The soft X-ray study revealed decreased bone-destruction and, in sera, titers of anticollagen antibody were lower than in controls.
These data suggest that“Tsu-hi-rei”has an antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive effect on collagen-induced arthritis.
