Suppression of type II collagen-induced arthritis by intragastric administration of soluble type II collagen

Nagler-Anderson C, Bober LA, Robinson ME, et al. · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Twelve 500 ug feedings cut the incidence of collagen-induced arthritis (P<0.004 at every point after day 30) and the group arthritic index at day 58 from 3.9 to 1.9, and eight feedings over two weeks were enough. Heat-denatured collagen had no effect on incidence or severity, and 3 mg feedings gave no suppression. Among fed mice that did develop arthritis, onset and severity matched controls. Total anti-collagen antibody was not significantly reduced; IgG2b was lower in fed mice and IgG2a tended lower.

Population

DBA/1 LacJ male mice aged 8 to 14 weeks; 32 fed and 51 control across six experiments in the main series

Intervention

Intragastric soluble native bovine type II collagen, 500 ug per feeding, twelve feedings over six weeks (or eight over two weeks) before immunisation; heat-denatured collagen and 3 mg feedings as comparisons

Comparator

Untreated / denatured collagen controls

Limitations

Mouse autoimmune-arthritis model with a defined dose window, since a six-fold larger feeding lost the effect, so it does not establish efficacy in human osteoarthritis or that more is better. Antibody levels barely moved, so the mechanism is not simple antibody suppression.