Inhibitory properties of triethylphosphine goldlupinylsulfide in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

A new gold coordination compound (triethylphosphine goldlupinylsulfide: TP-Au-LS) was tested in adjuvant-induced arthritis in the rat, by oral administration at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg/day of gold for 17 consecutive days, in comparison with auranofin and betamethasone. TP-Au-LS produced a dose dependent reduction of both the injected and uninjected hind paw volume. Gold levels in serum (measured on day 18 by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry) were also found to be dose related. At the dose of 10 mg/kg, TP-Au-LS and auranofin induced superimposable reductions of the injected paw volume; however the first drug produced higher serum gold concentrations than those achieved with the latter