EU-2972, a new and unique
drug affecting the gastrointestinal tract, caused a dose-related inhibition of
carrageenin-induced hindpaw
edema in the rat. The acute anti-inflammatory effect of
EU-2972 was absent in bilaterally adrenal-demedullated and in adrenalectomized rats. In the adjuvant-induced (Mycobacterium butyricum)
polyarthritis rat study, daily peroral doses of
EU-2972 for 14 days partially reduced primary and secondary lesions in therat hindfeet without improving the
arthritis score or
body weight loss.
Phenylbutazone ameliorated all signs associated with
polyarthritis in rats. These studies indicated that the acute anti-inflammatory effectiveness of
EU-2972 was due to a release of adrenal
catecholamines, and not to a direct effect or to a release of adrenal
corticosteroids. A
drug which releases adrenal
catecholamines alone can be partially effective in reducing hindpaw lesion formation in rats with
adjuvant arthritis. Nevertheless, the study shows that a
drug which affects the gastrointestinal tract can be effective in an acute inflammatory condition.