Prolactin, growth hormone, and IGF-1 in ankles and plasma of adjuvant arthritic rats

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of rheumatology 1999, Vol.28 (6), p.368-373
• Main Author: Adlan Elhassan, Abdu Adem, Isam Suliman, Amged Mustafa, J.U Lindgren
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Animals; Ankle Joint - metabolism; Arthritis, Experimental - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Growth Hormone - analysis; Inflammatory joint diseases; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - analysis; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Plasma - chemistry; Prolactin - analysis; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Reference Values; Tissue Extracts - chemistry
• ISSN: 0300-9742; 1502-7732
• DOI: 10.1080/03009749950155364

In this study we have investigated the levels of prolactin, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 in plasma and in tissue extracts of ankle joints of rats with acute or chronic adjuvant arthritis using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). We found a stable content of prolactin in plasma of the different groups but a significantly increased concentration of growth hormone was observed in the plasma of the group with chronic arthritis. Moreover, an increased concentration of insulin-like growth factor-1 was noted in the plasma of the acute group. This evidently had returned to normal levels in the chronic group. In contrast, decreased concentrations of prolactin, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 were found in tissue extracts of ankle joints of the group with chronic arthritis. The changes in the levels of these hormones in adjuvant arthritis might suggest that they play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Understanding the mechanism(s) of hormonal participation in adjuvant arthritis may open new treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.