Efficacy and safety of Ramucirumab and methotrexate co-therapy in rheumatoid arthritis experimental model: Involvement of angiogenic and immunomodulatory signaling.

This study aimed to investigate and evaluate the therapeutic effect of RAM with or without Methotrexate (MTX) against adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritic rats were treated for three consecutive weeks with MTX or RAM alone and MTX-RAM co-therapy. Arthritic score, gait score, ankle diameter, paw thickness, angiogenic, inflammatory cytokines, bone erosion markers, and apoptotic markers were assessed to evaluate the anti-arthritic effect. RAM monotherapy exhibited anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic effects similar to MTX alone to treat RA in the current study. Furthermore, RAM alone had a protective effect on bone and cartilage health better than standard anti-rheumatic agent MTX. Interestingly, combined therapy of MTX and RAM produced significant differences in comparison with MTX or RAM monotherapy in all tested parameters. Moreover, the current study proved that MTX-RAM co-therapy has a synergistic effect. PMID: 31398424 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Toxicol Appl Pharmacol Source Type: research