Modifications in tissue kallikrein activity with indomethacin and prednisolone treatment in arthritic rats.

This investigation was conducted to evaluate the tissue kallikrein activity in the synovial and paw tissues of control, non-treated adjuvant arthritic and adjuvant arthritic rats treated either with indomethacin or prednisolone. Adjuvant arthritis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats in the right knee by injecting 0.05 ml of a fine suspension of heat-killed Mycobacterium tubercle bacilli in liquid paraffin (5 mg/ml). Indomethacin (2.5 mg/kg given orally) and prednisolone (3.0 mg/kg given orally) treatment for 9 days caused a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in knee swelling. In non-treated adjuvant rats, synovial tissue kallikrein levels were raised (P < 0.01) than the synovial tissue kallikrein obtained from control normal rats. Prednisolone treatment resulted in reduction (P < 0.05) and indomethacin treatment produced raise (P < 0.01) in synovial tissue kallikrein levels. In non-treated arthritic rats, the paw tissue kallikrein levels were lower (P < 0.001) than the control rats; whereas, rats treated with prednisolone and indomethacine showed higher levels (P < 0.05) of paw tissue kallikrein. These results may suggest that the prednisone and indomethacin differ in their actions in inflamed synovial tissue kallikrein and have a similar effect in non-inflamed paw tissues.