Suppression of the onset and progression of collagen-induced arthritis in rats by QFGJS, a preparation from an anti-arthritic Chinese herbal formula.

QFGJS is an herbal preparation, and its pronounced effectiveness in treating adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) has been previously demonstrated. We herein aimed to confirm its anti-arthritic effect on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. CIA was established in female Wistar rats with intradermal injection of type II bovine collagen at the base of the tail of animals. CIA rats were treated daily with oral administration of different doses of QFGJS beginning on the day of the induction of arthritis (day 0, the prophylactic treatment) or on the day after the onset of arthritis (day 13, the therapeutic treatment) until day 30. The results showed that prophylactic treatment with QFGJS significantly suppressed the onset of arthritis, and therapeutic treatment with QFGJS markedly reduced paw swelling and ESR levels even in the established CIA. Radiologic and histopathologic changes in the arthritic joints were also significantly reduced in the QFGJS-treated versus vehicle-treated rats. Moreover, the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 were markedly lowered in the QFGJS-treated rats. Hence, our studies demonstrate the quality, safety, and effectiveness of QFGJS as an anti-arthritic agent, which makes QFGJS a strong candidate for further clinical trials on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.