Anti-Inflammatory Effects of HDL in Mice With Rheumatoid Arthritis Induced by Collagen

To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in mice with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) induced by collagen.

Male DBA/1 mice (8-week-old) were divided into three groups: control (treated with saline), collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), and CIA + HDL. CIA was induced with bovine type II collagen, and after the injection of bovine type II collagen, the CIA + HDL group received an injection of HDL on day 28 followed by HDL injections four times every 3 days. Mice were weighed, the paws were scored, and paw thickness was measured beginning on day 21. Additionally, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and IL-6 were measured by ELISA kits, tissue sections of paws were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and the inflammatory signaling pathway was analyzed by western blotting.

We found that the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in mice which received HDL decreased 45.14 and 35.02%, respectively. And we also found that HDL could significantly decrease the level of anti-type-II-collagen IgG2a and inhibit the neutrophil infiltration and cell proliferation and protect the ankle joint from type II collage-induced injury. Western blot analysis indicated that HDL could also inhibit the activation of the NF-κB, MAPK, and ERK signaling pathways in RA mice.

HDL can inhibit the inflammation induced by bovine type II collagen and the development of RA.