Spontaneous rheumatoid-like arthritis in a line of mice sensitive to collagen-induced arthritis

Animal models for human disease

This chapter introduces some types of animal models which are used for better understanding the disease mechanisms and its treatment. These experimental models fall into two categories: spontaneous models and induced models. Among the diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as an autoimmune disease was considered. To study the pathogenesis of RA, we explained collagen-induced arthritis as an animal model that reflects a characteristic feature of RA patients. In addition, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) as an experimental model for multiple sclerosis (MS) was explained in detail to represent a standard method to investigate in its mechanism, finding the way for the amelioration of this incurable neurological disorder.

Mice expressing HLA-DQ6alpha8beta transgenes develop polychondritis spontaneously

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a human autoimmune disease of unknown etiology in which cartilaginous sites are destroyed by cyclic inflammatory episodes beginning, most commonly, during the fourth or fifth decade of life. We have previously described collagen-induced polychondritis that closely mirrors RP occurring in young (6–8 weeks old) HLA-DQ6αβ8αβ transgenic Aβ0 mice, following immunization with heterologous type II collagen (CII).

We present evidence here that transgenic strains expressing the DQ6α8β transgene develop spontaneous polychondritis (SP) at the mouse equivalent of human middle age (4.5–6 months and 40–50 years old, respectively) and display polyarthritis, auricular chondritis and nasal chondritis – three of the most common sites affected in RP. Auricular chondritis in SP, like RP but unlike CII-induced polychondritis, exhibited a relapsing/remitting phenotype, requiring several inflammatory cycles before the cartilage is destroyed. Elevated serum levels of total IgG corresponded with the onset of disease in SP, as in RP and CII-induced polychondritis. No CII-specific immune response was detected in SP, however – more closely mirroring RP, in which as few as 30% of RP patients have been reported to have CII-specific IgG. CII-induced polychondritis displays a strong CII-specific immune response. SP also demonstrated a strong female preponderance, as some workers have reported in RP but has not observed in CII-induced polychondritis. These characteristics of SP allow for the examination of the immunopathogenesis of polychondritis in the absence of an overwhelming CII-specific immune response and the strong adjuvant-induced immunostimulatory influence in CII-induced polychondritis.

This spontaneous model of polychondritis provides a new and unique tool to investigate both the initiatory events as well as the immunopathogenic mechanisms occurring at cartilaginous sites during the cyclic inflammatory assaults of polychondritis.

Genetic characterisation of spontaneous ankylosing arthropathy with unique inheritance from Fas-deficient strains of mice

BACKGROUND

The spontaneous onset of macroscopic arthropathy in the ankle of the particular F1 mice descended from two Fas-deficient strains of mice; a mutant substrain of MRL/Mp.Fas(lpr) (MRL/rpl) and C3H/He.Fas(lpr) (C3H/lpr) was recently observed.

AIM

To histopathologically characterise and genetically interpret the unique inheritance mode of disease in this arthropathy model.

METHODS

MRL/rpl, C3H/lpr, (MRL/rpl x C3H/lpr; MC) F1, (C3H/lpr x MRL/rpl; CM) F1 and MCF2 mice were bred under specific pathogen-free conditions. Histopathological grade of arthropathy was determined at 6 months by examination under a light microscope. To search for a linkage locus to the arthropathy, the whole genome of selected 48 male MCF2 mice with 71 polymorphic microsatellite markers was scanned, followed by quantitative trait locus analysis.

RESULTS

The incidence of microscopically defined arthropathy in the male and female MCF1 groups was 100% and 19.4%, respectively. No incidence was observed in the parental strains, MRL/rpl and C3H/lpr, and in CMF1 mice. In the MCF1 mice, the arthropathy mainly affected the ankle joints and was histopathologically characterised by marked entheseal proliferation with chondrocytic differentiation and ossification in the ankle joints, the manifestations similar to ankylosing enthesitis reported previously. An MRL/rpl-derived autosomal dominant susceptibility locus was mapped in the distal of D7Mit68 (60 cM) to the ankylosis onset.

CONCLUSION

The MCF1 mice stably develop spontaneous ankylosing disorders in the ankle, with a male predominance. The unique inheritance mode of ankylosis is possibly interpreted by the genetic interaction between the autosomal dominant locus and a Y-linked locus.

Mice lacking endogenous major histocompatibility complex class II develop arthritis resembling psoriatic arthritis at an advanced age

OBJECTIVE

To describe and characterize a novel inflammatory toe disease with severe bone destruction that developed spontaneously in "humanized" (HLA transgenic) mice lacking their own major histocompatibility complex (MHC).

METHODS

We studied 5 different HLA transgenic mouse lines (HLA-DR2.Ab(0), DR3.Ab(0), DR4.Ab(0), DQ6.Ab(0), and DQ8.Ab(0)) in similar genetic background for an extended period of time (>14 months). Clinical, radiologic, and histologic abnormalities were monitored, and the MHC-related major immunologic parameters in affected and resistant mice were compared.

RESULTS

Animals of 4 transgenic lines (HLA-DR2.Ab(0), DR4.Ab(0), DQ6.Ab(0), and DQ8.Ab(0)) developed severe toe inflammation accompanied by progressive bone resorption, hyperkeratosis, alopecia, loss of nails, and shortening and thickening of the distal phalanges. HLA-DR3.Ab(0) transgenic mice were resistant to inflammation. The disease manifested only at advanced ages (6 months or older) and affected 70-100% of the mice, with a female preponderance. The clinical signs and the radiographic and histopathologic features of the affected toes were not similar to those of any disease previously described in mice but did resemble those described for human psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Mice from the 4 susceptible lines expressed lower levels of the HLA transgene and exhibited significantly fewer CD4+ cells in the peripheral blood and reduced natural killer cell activity compared with mice from the resistant HLA-DR3.Ab(0) line.

CONCLUSION

This novel, spontaneously developing PsA-like toe disease in MHC-manipulated mice seems to be related to the absence of endogenous MHC class II. Replacement with HLA transgene expression that is insufficient (or no replacement at all) may result in imbalanced MHC class I and class II functions and lead to development of the disease.

T helper subset involvement in two high antibody responder lines of mice (Biozzi mice): HI (susceptible) and HII (resistant) to collagen-induced arthritis

CD4+ T helper cells play a critical role in the chronicity of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. The present results focus on the involvement of Th1 and Th2 subsets at the initial stage of the experimental disease in two lines of mice selected for high antibody production: HI that is susceptible, and HII that is resistant to CIA. Both lines are known to be H-2q, display an identical full set of V-beta genes, and mount similar antibody responses to both heterologous and autologous CII. The kinetic analysis of local T cell and anti-bovine CII antibody responses was followed by Elispot assays, the production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and IgG2a being considered indicative of a Th1 profile, and interleukin-5 (IL-5) as well as IgG1-IgE, of a Th2 profile. The number of IL-5 Elispots is constantly higher in susceptible than in resistant mice. The IFN-gamma production is rather low in HI compared to HII, and besides, preferential help is observed for the Th2-dependent IgG1-IgE isotype-producing B cells in HI, while a switch-over toward IgG2a anti-CII isotype is found in HII. These results suggest that a Th1 preeminence at the onset of the anti-CII response is decisive in the resistance to CIA.

Prevention of autoimmune inflammatory polyarthritis in male New Zealand black/KN mice by transplantation of bone marrow cells plus bone (stromal cells)

OBJECTIVE

To prevent polyarthritis in male New Zealand black/KN (NZB/KN) mice by transplantation of both bone marrow cells (BMC) and bone (to recruit stromal cells) from normal mice.

METHODS

Arthritic lesions in male NZB/KN mice injected intravenously with BMC plus bone from C57Bl/10 mice were compared with those in untreated male NZB/KN mice.

RESULTS

Male NZB/KN mice engrafted with BMC plus bone were both radiologically and histopathologically normal, and had decreased production of anti-single-stranded DNA antibodies and rheumatoid factors at 8-12 months of age.

CONCLUSION

Bone marrow transplantation prevented polyarthritis in male NZB/KN mice.

Genetic, hormonal and behavioural influence on spontaneously developing arthritis in normal mice

DBA/1 male mice develop arthritis spontaneously at the age of 4 months. The affected joints show cell-rich pannus formation without T cell infiltration and only limited MHC class II expression. Specific pathogen-free DBA/1 mice from different sources developed the same disease. Analyses of inbred mouse strains with various genetic backgrounds and F1 hybrids revealed that the disease is genetically dependent of DBA/1 recessive genes. However, F1 hybrids between DBA/1 and BXSB spontaneously developed arthritis with earlier onset than DBA/1 mice, suggesting that the BXSB autoimmune gene background had both permissive and contributing effects on the development of arthritis. The complete male preponderance for disease susceptibility was investigated by castration and testosterone treatment of DBA/1 males. No arthritis developed after castration and disease susceptibility was restored by testosterone treatment. Arthritis developed only where more than two males were kept in cages, suggesting an influence by aggressive behaviour. Thus, the spontaneous development of arthritis is dependent on hormonal and behavioural mediated effects and differs from experimental models for rheumatoid arthritis such as type II collagen-induced arthritis and pristane-induced arthritis. We conclude that the spontaneously developing arthritis in the normal DBA/1 strain may be more useful as a disease model for osteoarthritis than for rheumatoid arthritis.

Resistance to collagen-induced arthritis in Biozzi mice is not associated with a defect in autoantibodies to accessible epitopes on cartilage collagen

In order to understand why most strains of Biozzi mice are unexpectedly either arthritis-resistant, or susceptible, we investigate the autoantibody reactivity against matrix-embedded collagen molecules. We show a close correlation between these tissular and the free collagen antibodies, irrespective of arthritis susceptibility. These results are against an antibody response restricted to hidden non-pathogenic epitopes in the resistant mice.

Characterization of a spontaneously occurring arthritis in male DBA/1 mice

OBJECTIVE

We studied the incidence, severity, histopathologic features, and status of infection in a spontaneous polyarthritis which occurs in male DBA/1 mice.

METHODS

Over a 25-week period, the arthritis was evaluated macroscopically in naive mice of different strains. The histopathology was evaluated at different phases of the disease. Virologic and bacteriologic investigations were performed.

RESULTS

The arthritis occurs in approximately 80% of aging male DBA/1 mice. The disease is chronic and destructive, and the affected joints are characterized by synovial lining proliferation and infiltration of inflammatory cells, mainly mononuclear. The susceptibility appears to be dependent on both sex-linked and non-sex-linked genes, since female DBA/1 mice are not affected and since male BALB/c housed in the same colony are only marginally affected.

CONCLUSION

This first description of a spontaneous arthritis in aging male DBA/1 mice should provide new opportunities to study general features of a chronic and intermittent arthritis in a well-characterized strain, in which no generalized aberrations of the immune system have been described.