Effects of FUT-175, a novel synthetic protease inhibitor, on the development of adjuvant arthritis in rats and some biological reactions dependent on complement activation.

1. The effects of FUT-175 on the development of adjuvant arthritis in rats were studied and compared with those of indomethacin. FUT-175 inhibited both primary and secondary paw lesions in the adjuvant arthritic rats when it was administered orally on a daily basis from the day before through 18th day after adjuvant injection. 2. In addition, FUT-175 inhibited the increase in hemolytic complement in adjuvant arthritic rats in a dose-dependent manner. 3. Indomethacin also showed an inhibitory effect on the development of arthritic lesion, but had no effect on the increase in hemolytic complement in the adjuvant arthritis in rats. 4. Furthermore, FUT-175 inhibited the activities of various proteases in vitro, and then strongly inhibited complement-mediated hemolysis via the classical and alternative pathways, while indomethacin had no effect on them. 5. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of FUT-175 may differ from indomethacin in the mechanisms of action and, at least in part, due to the anti-complement activity.