【Animal Modeling】-Rheumatoid Arthritis Compound Hypertension Disease Model

  Objective: To establish a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis with hypertension (arthritis-hypertension, AHD) and evaluate its characteristics.

  Method: Use a 0.25 mm silver clip for surgery to reduce the left renal artery of the rat to establish a hypertension (HT) model, and at the same time inject 0.1 mL of complete Freund's adjuvant into the left hind paw. Establish AHD model rats. Non-invasive blood pressure measurement and analysis system can measure tail artery pressure. The foot volume measurement device can measure the swelling of the non-inflammatory side of the rat, and analyze the arthritis index and the incidence of inflammation. The rats were sacrificed on the 35th day, and the thoracic aorta, ankle joint and spleen tissues were collected for HE staining and pathological examination.

  Results: The joints of AHD model rats are obviously swollen, synovial cells proliferate in large quantities, inflammatory cells are infiltrated, blood vessels are formed in the joint cavity, and the number of reproductive centers of the spleen increases, and lymphocyte infiltration increases. Hyperplasia with red spleen infiltration. Arthritis index, inflammation incidence, and histopathological scores of joints and spleen were significantly higher than those of adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats. At the same time, the blood pressure of the AHD model rats increased significantly, the thickness of the middle thoracic aorta and the transverse artery increased significantly in the cross-sectional area, and the diameter of the lumen decreased significantly. The blood pressure and vascular damage were HT, which was significantly higher than or Higher than rats.

  Conclusion: Intradermal injection of Freund's complete adjuvant combined with surgical stenosis of the left renal artery can successfully establish an AHD rat model.