Pyridostigmine ameliorates pristane-induced arthritis symptoms in Dark Agouti rats

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder. Pyridostigmine (PYR), an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, has been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in several animal models for inflammation-associated conditions. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of PYR on pristane-induced (PIA) in Dark Agouti (DA) rats.

DA rats were intradermally infused with pristane to establish the PIA model, which was treated with PYR (10 mg/kg/day) for 27 days. The effects of PYR on synovial inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota were evaluated by determining arthritis scores, H&E staining, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and biochemical assays, as well as 16S rDNA sequencing.

Pristane induced arthritis, with swollen paws and body weight loss, increased arthritis scores, synovium hyperplasia, and bone or cartilage erosion. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in synovium was higher in the PIA group than in the control group. PIA rats also displayed elevated levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in plasma. Moreover, sequencing results showed that the richness, diversity, and composition of the gut microbiota dramatically changed in PIA rats. PYR abolished pristane-induced inflammation and oxidative stress, and corrected the gut microbiota dysbiosis.

The results of this study support the protective role of PYR in PIA in DA rats, associated with the attenuation of inflammation and correction of gut microbiota dysbiosis. These findings open new perspectives for pharmacological interventions in animal models of RA.