1997 Volume 50 Issue 11 Pages 906-911
The anti-arthritic effects of epoxyquinomicins on type II collagen-induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice were examined. Prophylactic treatment with epoxyquinomicins A, B, C and D (1-4mg/kg) had potent inhibitory effects on type II collagen-induced arthritis. In contrast to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), epoxyquinomicin C (1-30mg/kg) had neither an anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats nor an analgesic effect on acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. These results suggest that the mode of action of epoxyquinomicins is different from that of NSAIDs and that epoxyquinomicins may become useful drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.