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The effects of anti-rheumatic drugs (lobenzarit (CCA) ; 10 and 50mg/kg, cyclophosphamide (CP) ; 5mg/kg and dexamethasone (DM) ; 0.25mg/kg) were evaluated immunologically and histopathologically on DBA/1J mice that develop polyarthritis after immunization by the intradermal injection of type II collagen. Serum anti-type II collagen IgG levels in the groups treated with CP and DM were significantly suppressed to 1/2 and 1/10 as compared to those of the positive control group, respectively. Those of both groups treated with CCA were not different from those of the positive control group. Histopathological examination revealed that treatment with CP and DM markedly reduced or suppressed inflammatory changes and resulted in low incidence of arthritis. From the standpoint mentioned above, treatment with anti-rhematic drugs suppressed the development of arthritis in this model, and we could confirmthat this model was useful for evaluation of the effect of anti-rheumatic drugs.DBA/ 1 J mouse is known to develop polyarthritis after immunization by the injection of type II collagen [2,3,6,14], and recently it arouses general interest as an experimental model of human rheumatoid arthritis. Previous histological examination revealed that the sequence of arthritic lesions was not uniform by each joint [41. Evaluation of the effects of anti-rheumatic drugs had been conducted in this model using macroscopic or immunologic criteria by Phadke et al. [10], Paska et al. [9] and etc.In the present study as the second series of experiments dealing with type II collagen induced polyarthritis in DBA/1J mouse, anti-rheumatic drugs of different categories were administered to the model animals and the limb joints were examined histopathologically to investigate the feasibility of this model for the evaluation of anti-rhematic agents.

We produced monoclonal antibodies against the adult antigen of Paragonimus westermani to investigate the expression of the stage-specific antigen of adult flukes. Two hybridoma cell lines, A1-2 and A4-1, were established. A1-2 reacted specifically only with the adult antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), whereas A4-1 reacted with both adult and larval antigens. By immunoblotting analysis, A1-2 was found to react with four bands with molecular weights of 35,000, 17,000, 15,500, and 12,500 in the adult antigen but with none in the larval antigen. A4-1 was found to bind to the band of 27,000 daltons in the adult antigen as well as those of 28,000 and 26,000 daltons in the larval antigen. By immunohistochemical methods, a positive reaction was observed only in the parenchymal tissues of the adult flukes with A1-2. A4-1 reacted with the substance that located on the gut epithelium and in the luminal contents of both the adult and larval flukes. These results indicate that the adult P. westermani possesses an antigen or antigenic determinant specific to the adult stage, as well as that common to both the larval and adult stages.

Lewis rats were immunized with an intradermal injection of type II collagen to study the time course of arthritic lesions. Serum type II collagen antibody was detected 9 days after immunization. Increased paw volume in the hind limbs was noted on day 11. Histopathologically, proliferation of synovial lining cells was observed on day 11 and typical lesions similar to those of human rheumatoid arthritis were noted on day 18.

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