PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Margareta Verdrengh
AU  - Andrej Tarkowski
TI  - Inhibition of septic arthritis by local administration of taurine chloramine, a product of activated neutrophils.
DP  - 2005 Aug 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 1513--1517
VI  - 32
IP  - 8
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/32/8/1513.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/32/8/1513.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2005 Aug 01; 32
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Taurine is an amino acid able to react with hypochlorous acid, produced endogenously by neutrophils, resulting in the more stable and less toxic taurine chloramine (Tau-Cl). Since Tau-Cl has been shown to down-regulate the production of proinflammatory mediators and to exert anti-bacterial properties, we investigated the efficacy of Tau-Cl treatment for infectious arthritis. METHODS: The murine model of hematogenous septic arthritis involved intravenous injection of a single dose of Staphylococcus aureus. Tau-Cl was administered by daily intraperitoneal injections. In another experiment S. aureus and Tau-Cl were injected intra-articularly. Evaluation of arthritis was performed clinically and histologically. The effect of Tau-Cl on bacterial growth in vitro was also assessed. RESULTS: Growth of staphylococci, including the methicillin-resistant strain 67-0, was inhibited by Tau-Cl. Mice injected with bacteria and Tau-Cl locally in the joint exhibited significantly fewer arthritic lesions. In contrast, there were no obvious differences between Tau-Cl-treated animals and controls with regard to clinical or histological signs of arthritis when bacteria and Tau-Cl were administered systemically. CONCLUSION: Our results show that Tau-Cl exerts an inhibitory effect on the development of bone and cartilage damage in the infected joint when administered intra-articularly.