Weitere Untersuchungen über die experimentelle Adjuvans-Arthritis der Ratte

Abstract

An experimental arthritis was induced by injecting rats with complete Freund-adjuvant and additional mycobacteria. Serum of the animals was collected at different days after injection and was investigated in regard for its serum-protein-composition and potassium- and calcium-content. Simultaneously the animals were skin-tested with parent-gelatine, a denatured soluble collagen-preparation. Shortly after the injection of the adjuvant a significant general reaction with considerable changes in the serum-protein-composition was observed. The electro-phoretic serum-protein-pattern of acute inflammation appeared with a decrease of the albumin-content and an increase of the [alpha]-globulin. In addition, an unusual increase of the [gamma] -globulin and an increase of the potassium/calcium ratio appeared. The latter observations might be regarded as an indication for the occurrence of an immunologic process. A local inflammation obtained by injecting formalin into one footpad of rats did not induce similar alterations. Together with the appearance of arthritic symptoms on the 14th to the 16th day after injection, the serumprotein-picture of acute inflammation became even more typical whereby the [gamma] -globulin level decreased significantly from its unusual size to nearly normal values. Animals injected with adjuvant, which did not show arthritic symptoms, showed at this time the serum-protein-picture of chronic inflammation. The [alpha] -globulin level of these animals however showed no decrease and remained significantly increased until the end of the experiment. The investigation of the animal''s sera with the Latex test and the Waaler-Rose test always gave negative results. A higher percentage of the animals which were injected with the adjuvant showed after skin-testing with parent-gelatine delayed-type reactions. However no relation was established between the occurrence of positive skintests and the occurrence of arthritic symptoms, since positive skin reactions appeared also in rats which showed no symptoms. The significance of these results is discussed.