Differential effects of anti-arthritic agents on subnormal plasma iron levels in adjuvant arthritic rats

Abstract

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) and other antirheumatic compounds such as disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD's), immunosuppressives and glucocorticoids were tested to determine if daily medication for two weeks could elevate subnormal levels of plasma iron in adjuvant-arthritic (AA) rats. Aspirin, indomethacin, ibuprofen and phenylbutazone were chosen as representative carboxylic acids and pyrazole NSAID's. Although NSAID's at all doses significantly reduced noninjected paw swelling, no NSAID significantly enhanced subnormal plasma iron levels in AA rats. In contrast, the standard DMARD's auranofin and gold sodium thiomalate, as well as the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone and the immunosuppressives, methotrexate and cyclosporin-A all significantly restored plasma iron levels 28 to 100 percent. Plasma iron depression, a parameter of the acute phase response probably under regulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines, is not reversed by NSAID treatment. This appears to be a useful method for distinguishing NSAID's from other anti-arthritic compounds.

Proteins of rat serum V: Adjuvant arthritis and its modulation by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

“…Interestingly, acidic Tf spots appeared mainly in specimens from control animals or at the onset of the experiment, not in the treated rats. This is consistent with previous reports of low iron levels as a consequence of AA in rats [30,31]. We also noticed a shift of acidic Tf spots to the more alkaline positions due to serum treatment with EDTA, but the total volumes of all Tf spots per gel were constant.…”