Influence of the iron chelating agent desferrioxamine on two rat inflammatory models.

The carrageenin rat paw edema was dose-dependently inhibited by i.v. and i.m. administration of desferrioxamine, a specific iron chelating agent. Therefore, iron-catalyzed formation of free radicals might be involved in this acute inflammatory reaction. In contrast, no antiinflammatory activity of desferrioxamine could be seen in rat adjuvant arthritis, a model of subacute and chronic inflammation.