The use of corticosteroids encapsulated in erythrocytes in the treatment of adjuvant induced arthritis in the rat.

Corticosteroid esters have been encapsulated into intact erythrocytes and used as an intravenous treatment for adjuvant induced arthritis in the rat. The treatment consisted of injections of the encapsulated steroids with the effects monitored for up to 14 days. On an equivalent weight basis both encapsulated cortisol-21-phosphate and prednisolone-21-sodium hemisuccinate proved superior to the free steroid esters administered in solution by injection.