Dual effect of nitric oxide donor on adjuvant arthritis

Abstract The effect of medical use of NO donors on the pathogenesis of arthritis is still yet unclear. We investigated the effects of the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), on the pathogenesis of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Rats were given SNP intraperitoneally either from day 5 to day 14 (as a prophylactic protocol) or from day 16 to day 25 (as a therapeutic protocol) after inoculation of adjuvant. SNP administration, whether prophylactic or therapeutic, in doses of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg/d significantly aggravated pathogenesis of adjuvant arthritis in rats. SNP-treated rats showed significant ( P