AIM:To observe the degree of joint
swelling caused by Freund's complete
adjuvant,the degree of claw swelling at different time points after treatment of
clerodendrum bungei steud of different dosage in rats with adjuvant
arthritis,and compare the interventional effects with those of golden standard hydrocortisone.METHODS:The experiment was carried out in the pharmacological laboratory of Gannan Medical College from March to June 2004.Thirty six male Wistar rats with body mass of(170± 20) g were randomly divided into 4 groups with 9 rats in each group.Three days before establishment of adjuvant arthritis model,the rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection of 10 and 5 g clerodendrum bungei extract(clerodendrum bungei high and low dose groups),12 mg/kg hydrocortisone(hydrocortisone group) and saline of the same volume(model group),once a day for continuous 24 days.All the rats were made into models of adjuvant arthritis by right hindfoot plantar intradermal injection of 0.1 mL freund's complete adjuvant,and then the swelling degree of right hindfoot was determined at 3,5,7,24 and 72 hours,and the swelling degree of the non arthritis foot was also determined at 9,11,15,20 and 23 days,and the effects of the drug on the primary and secondary lesion of the rats with adjuvant arthritis were observed.RESULTS:All the 36 rats were involved in the analysis of results.① The primary foot swelling degree:It was relieved at 5 hours after model establishment in the clerodendrum bungei low dose group as compared with the model group(t=2.436 to 2.583,P< 0.05);It was significantly relieved at 3 to 72 hours after model establishment in the clerodendrum bungei high dose group and hydrocortisone group as compared with the model group(P< 0.01).② The secondary foot swelling degree in rats with adjuvant arthritis:Compared with the model group,the swelling degree after 9 to 23 days were significantly inhibited in the clerodendrum bungei low and high dose groups and hydrocortisone group(P< 0.01).CONCLUSION:Both clerodendrum bungei steud and hydrocortisone can obviously inhibit the primary foot swelling of rats with adjuvant arthritis,which indicates that clerodendrum bungei steud has definite anti arthritis effect;This experiment adopts the method of administration 3 days before model establishment,the results show that it plays a role in inhibiting secondary foot swelling degree,indicating that clerodendrum bungei steud has the effects against delayed type hypersensitivity and in inhibiting cellular immunity.