The Effect of Acanthopanax Koreanum Extract on the Induction of Collagen Induced Arthritis for DBA / 1J Mice

Kim, Dong Soo

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
No medication currently available for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is universally effective, and all can produce adverse effects. It is well known that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has an anti-inflammatory action without any adverse effects reported. We conducted this study whether the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has a preventive and/or regressive effect of collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice.
METHODS
Three groups of BDA/1J mice were immunized by intradermal injection of 5ma/ka bovine type lI collagen with complete Freund s adjuvant. Group received 20ma/ka of Acanthopanax koreanum extract orally twice weekly and group K received 1ma/ka dexamethasone intraperitoneally twice weekly. Group ll and lll were divided into two subgroups respectively(Group Il-A, E-B, lll-A and Ill-B). Subgroup A is prevention group(Drugs were started to be given 3 weeks after immunization) and subgroup B is suppression group(Drugs were started to be given 6 weeks after immunization when CIA had been developed already). Group I received no treatment. The prevalence of arthritis were assessed twice weekly. Serum anti-collagen antibody and splenic mononuclear cell stimulation indices (SI) to collagen were measured. Serum tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 levels were also measured by ELISA. RESULT: Collagen induced arthritis(CIA) started to develop 4 weeks after collagen injections. In Acanthopanax koreanum extract treated group, CIA induction seemed not to be inhibited, but questionably partial supressive effect of arthritis were observed at 10 weeks after collagen injection. In dexamethasone treated group, both of prevention and suppression of CIA could be observed. Levels of anti-collagen antibodies were reduced in dexamethasone treated group, but not in the Acanthopanax koreanum extract treated group. No significant differences of splenic mononuclear cell SI among the groups was observed. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 among the groups.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings showed that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract does not have a definite effect on induction or supression of CIA.