[Animal Modeling] - Preparation and Evaluation of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Depression Model Rats

  Objective: To prepare and evaluate an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis with depression.

  Method: 32 rats were randomly divided into a normal group (N group), a depression group (D group), an arthritis group (RA group), and a model group (RAD group), with 8 rats in each group. The N group received normal feeding, the D group received 1 week of solitary care and 3 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), the RA group received collagen induced arthritis (CIA) method to establish an arthritis model, and the RAD group received 1 week of solitary care and 3 weeks of CUMS on the basis of establishing the CIA animal model to establish a RAD animal model. By observing rat toe volume, arthritis index (AI), synovial and ankle joint pathology, and serum interleukin-1 β Interleukin-1 β, IL-1 β)、 Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor- α (tuber crossing factor)- α, TNF- α) Evaluate whether the rat model of rheumatoid arthritis has been successfully prepared; Depression status in rats was evaluated by measuring body weight, food intake, sugar preference rate, open field behavior (total number of exercise frames, number of upright postures), serum corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT) levels, and hippocampal pathological changes. If the model rats meet the above criteria for depression and rheumatoid arthritis, it indicates that the RAD animal model has been successfully prepared.

  Compared with the N group, the foot volume, AI score, and serum IL-1 of rats in the RA and RAD groups were measured β、 The level of IL-6 significantly increased (P<0 05), the joint space widened, synovial hyperplasia significantly extended to the joint cavity, and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated. The body weight, food intake, total exercise volume, number of upright postures, and sugar preference rate of rats in the D and RAD groups decreased to varying degrees, and serum CRH, ACTH, and CORT levels increased to varying degrees. Neuron cells decreased, accompanied by partial nuclear atrophy, especially in the model group (P<0 05).

  Conclusion: Collagen induced arthritis combined with solitary care and CUMS can effectively simulate the external manifestations and internal indicator changes of RAD model animals, providing animal model references for the study of RAD diseases.