Effect of concurrent administration of aspirin, indomethacin or hydrocortisone with gold sodium thiomalate against adjuvant-induced arthritis in the rat.

The activity of gold sodium thiomalate (GST) given i.m. to adjuvant-induced polyarthritic rats was studied alone or in combination with active doses of aspirin, indomethacin and hydrocortisone. In addition to paw volume and body weight changes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum albumin/globulin and gold levels as well as plasma activities of beta-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase, lysozyme and lactic acid dehydrogenase were measured. In prophylactic studies the beneficial activity of GST was unaffected by aspirin, suggesting a positive drug interaction, but additive with indomethacin or hydrocortisone for the 1st but not 2nd lesion of the disease. These results were closely correlated with increased serum gold levels. Similar clinical findings were observed in therapeutic studies except that a positive drug interaction occurred between GST and hydrocortisone. Unlike in the prophylactic experiments, serum gold levels were unaffected by any of the agents tested in the therapeutic studies.