Figure 2

Preventive and therapeutic effects of ergotope peptides on CIA. Mice were randomly divided into seven groups, eight mice in each: CIA, control peptide treated (C-P), peptides 5–6 (P5-6) and peptides 14–16 (P14–16). Two different modes of administration were applied in all treated groups. The pulse administration regimen was giving 1000 µg peptide in 500 µl volume through intraperitoneal injection at 14 d before first immunization for prevention (A), or at 7 d post first immunization for treatment (B), while every-other-day administration was giving 200 µg peptide in 200 µl volume intraperitoneally five times starting 14 d before first immunization for prevention, or 7 d after first immunization for treatment (B). Mice in the CIA group were injected in the same way as control, with the same volume of sterile PBS every other day. (A and B) Clinical scores were assessed daily. Data are represented as mean ± SD (mice/group). *: P < 0.05, P14-16 every other day versus P5-6 every other day. (C) Histopathological changes of joints were examined in the CIA group, C-P treated group, and P5-6 and P14-16 every-other-day groups on d 45. Representative sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin in each group (B) are shown (left panel, × 100; right panel, × 400). (D) The levels of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a in sera were measured by ELISA at the peak of disease in the groups described in (C). Data are represented as mean ± SD. *: P < 0.05, versus C-P group. Data are representative of three separate experiments with similar results.