• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2010

The effect of beta-glucan ($Polycan^{TM}$) derived from Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001 were observed on, collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in DBA mice. Six week-old male DBA/1J mice were immunized by the intradermal injection of $200\;{\mu}g$ of bovine type II collagen with the equal volume of complete Freund's adjuvant at the tail base on day 1. On day 21, the mice were boosted by the intradermal injection of $200\;{\mu}g$ of bovine type II collagen with incomplete Freund's adjuvant. From the first immunization, mice had been administered $Polycan^{TM}$ (21.25, 42.5 and 85 mg/kg), diclofenac and vehicle once a day for 4 weeks, respectively. Collagen-induced hyperimmunities and arthritis signs were markedly and dose-dependently inhibited by treatment of $Polycan^{TM}$ compared with RA control except for tibial cartilages of $Polycan^{TM}$ 21.25 group. $Polycan^{TM}$ effectively inhibited the histopathological changes of collagen-induced arthritis and hyper-immunities.