[Metabolic degradation of cartilage by leucocyte enzymes under the influence of antirheumatic drugs (author's transl)].

Lately the importance and participation of leucocytes in rheumatoid arthritis have been discussed. In order to study catabolic reactions in connective tissue we investigated the autolytic liberation of mucopolysaccharides in cartilage alone and in the presence of leucocyte enzymes. Factors of optimal experimental conditions, such as pH and constituents of incubation medium, incubation time and the number of leucocytes, were determined. In further experiments we studied the influence of antirheumatic drugs, such as sodium salicylate, phenylbutazone, pentosanpoly-sulfate and gold thiopolypeptide, on cartilage degradation. In our experiments only phenylbutazone and pentosanpoly-sulfate exerted an inhibitory effect on leucocyte-stimulated degradation of cartilage. The relevance of this finding for the therapeutic use of these drugs is evaluated.