Mechanisms of chronicity of acute polyarthritis induced by N-acetylmuramyl peptides and peptidoglycans as biological response modifiers in rats

• Published in: Ensho Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 79 - 85
• Main Authors: Kohashi, Osamu, Kohashi, Yukiko, Shigematsu, Nobuaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Inflammation and Regeneration 01.01.1987
• Subjects: chronicity; inflammation; MDP; peptidoglycans; polyarthritis
• ISSN: 0389-4290; 1884-4006
• DOI: 10.2492/jsir1981.7.79

A single or multiple systemic administrations of aqueous forms instead of water-in-oil emulsion of biological active acyl muramyl dipeptides (acyl MDPs) induced acute polyarthritis in euthymic rats and athymic nude rats except for WKY rats. Histological studies revealed acute exudative inflammatory reactions around joints which consisted of hypertrophy of both synovial villi and tendon sheath, infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and fibrin deposition of the affected joint spaces. During multiple systemic injections of acyl MDPs, this acute arthritis became chronic one in euthymic rats but not in athymic nude rats. It remains uncertain whether chronic polyarthritis results from repeating flare of acute inflammatory reactions by continuing stimulation of adjuvants or whether the chronicity of the disease may require some immunologic process to exogenous substances such as bacterial fragments or autoantigens modified by exogenous substances, such as type II collagen.