Anti-inflammatory effects of phosphatidylcholine in neutrophil leukocyte-dependent acute arthritis in rats.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of exogenous phosphatidylcholine (PC) and non-steroidal diclofenac supplementation on polymorphonuclear cell influx in carrageenan-induced arthritis in rats. The microcirculatory consequences were evaluated by a novel method developed for direct intravital microscopic observation of the synovial membrane. Arthritis was induced by injection of a mixture of 2% lambda-carrageenan and 4% kaolin into the knee joints and the animals were treated orally with PC (150 mg/kg twice daily), sodium diclofenac (0.5mg/kg twice daily) or saline vehicle. Intravital videomicroscopy was used to investigate the leukocyte-endothelial interactions directly in the synovial membrane at 6h after the challenge. The inflammation-induced thermal and mechanical secondary hyperalgesic reactions were assessed at 24h, and the knee volume changes at 48h after the insult. The development of arthritis was accompanied by a significant increase in the number of adherent leukocytes in the synovial postcapillary venules, but this increase was reduced significantly (by approximately 40%) by PC, and slightly (by 22%) by diclofenac treatment. The perivascular infiltration of the neutrophil leukocytes and the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expressions were reduced only by PC treatment. The significant decrease (45%) in the thermal nociceptive latency, the 3-fold increase in the mechanical touch sensitivity and the knee cross-sectional area (which was increased by 35% by the arthritis induction) were significantly ameliorated by both treatments. The present study demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of PC in experimental arthritis. The therapeutic potential may be linked to the reduction of neutrophil leukocyte-mediated microcirculatory inflammatory reactions.

• Authors: Petra Hartmann, Andrea Szabó, Gábor Eros, Dóra Gurabi, Gyöngyi Horváth, István Németh, Miklós Ghyczy, Mihály Boros
• Journal: European journal of pharmacology (Eur J Pharmacol) Vol. 622 Issue 1-3 Pg. 58-64 (Nov 10 2009) ISSN: 1879-0712 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 19766625 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Phosphatidylcholines
• Diclofenac

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Arthritis (drug therapy, immunology, physiopathology)
• Diclofenac (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Hyperalgesia (immunology, physiopathology)
• Knee Joint (drug effects, pathology)
• Male
• Microcirculation (drug effects)
• Neutrophils (drug effects, immunology)
• Phosphatidylcholines (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Synovial Membrane (blood supply, drug effects)