Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on October 19, 2004
Rheumatology 2005 44(2):183-186; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keh444
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Rheumatology Vol. 44 No. 2 © British Society for Rheumatology 2004; all rights reserved
Topoisomerase II inhibitors, irrespective of their chemical composition, ameliorate experimental arthritis
Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research and 1 Institute of Internal Medicine, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Correspondence to: M. Verdrengh, Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Göteborg University, Guldhedsgatan 10A, SE-413 46 Göteborg, Sweden. E-mail: margareta.verdrengh{at}rheuma.gu.se
Objective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by a chronic inflammation in the joints. The model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) has been extensively used to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms relevant to human RA and is widely employed for the evaluation of potential anti-rheumatic agents. Etoposide and mitoxantrone are immunosuppressive drugs, both acting by inhibiting the topoisomerase II function. We have previously demonstrated an ameliorating effect of etoposide in CIA. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the optimal ameliorating dose of etoposide and (2) to ascertain that topoisomerase II inhibition, irrespective of the chemical composition of the drug, affects the course of autoimmunity.
Methods. Male DBA/1 mice were treated with 12.5 mg/kg body weight of etoposide five times, twice, once per week or once every second week. Mitoxantrone was administered as high dose (1 mg/kg body weight five times after immunization or after booster with collagen II) or low dose (3 µg/mouse, 5 days/week starting after collagen II immunization or after booster).
Results. Treatment with 12.5 mg/kg body weight five times or twice weekly with etoposide completely inhibited development of arthritis. Low-dose treatment with mitoxantrone after collagen II immunization or high-dose treatment after collagen II booster delayed the onset of arthritis. These results were observed clinically as well as histologically. In addition, serum levels of anti-collagen II antibodies were significantly lower in mice displaying less severe arthritis.
Conclusion. Treatment of collagen-induced arthritis with topoisomerase II inhibitors ameliorates the development of disease.
KEY WORDS: Topoisomerase II inhibitor, Collagen-induced arthritis