Effect of high lipid diet and allopurinol on the development of experimentally induced arthritis in rats

Male albino rats were fed a high lipid diet for 5 consecutive weeks. We studied the development of paw inflammation after an injection with Freund's complete adjuvant. Increasing the lipid content of the diet significantly increased the rate of paw inflammation. Also the effect on this process of oral administration of a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (allopurinol, 50 mg/kg) for 15 consecutive days was studied. Results indicated that inflammation was significantly inhibited by allopurinol.