Animal models of collagen-induced arthritis.

Collagen-induced arthritis in rats is associated with inflammatory polyarthritis, sharing clinical and pathological features with those of human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Described in this unit is a protocol for consistently inducing arthritis in female Lewis rats by immunizing them with bovine type II collagen (CII) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant. This model is of value not only in defining the underlying pathogenesis of RA, but also as a tool for evaluating pharmacological strategies for treating this condition.