Influnce of germanium on PGE of rat with rheumatoid arthritis

Key words: 
• germanium /
• rheumatoid arthritis /
• prostaglandin E₂

Abstract: Objective :To investigate the regulatory effect of germanium(Ge) on PGE₂ of the rheumatoid arthritic model. Methods :The rat model of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) induced by Freund's complete adjuvant(FCA) was interfered with different dosages of β-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide(Ge-132).The body weight and the paw volume of each rat model were measured at the 3rd,6th,12th,15th,18th and 21st days,and the weight growth rate and paw swelling rate were caculated.After rats was quickly beheaded at the 21st day,the contents of Prostaglandin E₂(PGE₂) in the tissue were measured. Results :Appetite,energy,weight gains and the paw volume of germanium with middle and high dosages and Indomethacin(IDMT) treated groups were better then those of the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the IDMT treated group,the level of tissue inflammatory mediator PGE₂ in germanuium with middle and high dosages and the normal saline treated groups were significantly lower than that of the model group(P<0.01),and the germanuium with high dosage was the lowest one,while the germanuium with middle dosage and the IDMT treated groups were in the second place,and the germanuium with low dosage was the highest one among all the groups. Conclusion :All the dosages of germanuium were able to decrease PGE₂ significantly by measuring the content of the inflammatory mediator;the high dosed germanuium gave better anti-inflammatory effects on the experimental RA rat model than IDMT.There was a relationship between the dose and enhancement effect of germanuium.