[Animal modeling] - Establishment of acute gouty arthritis rat model and observation of model maintenance time

  Objective: To establish a rat model of acute gouty arthritis and observe its maintenance time.

  Methods: The rat AGA model was established by intra-articular injection of 25 mg/mL sodium urate crystal suspension into the ankle joint, and was dynamically observed at multiple time points for 8 days. The local skin temperature, swelling degree, gait, inflammatory cells in the joint fluid and pathological changes in the synovium of the tested ankle joint were used to determine whether the model was formed and the maintenance time.

  Results: At 3 h after modeling, swelling of ankle joint, skin temperature rise, gait abnormality, increased number of inflammatory cells in joint fluid, synovial tissue hyperplasia, capillary congestion, disorder of arrangement of synovial cells and other inflammatory manifestations were observed in both normal saline group and model group, and there were significant differences between the two groups and the blank group (P<0.01); At 4 h after modeling, the above inflammatory manifestations in the normal saline group were significantly reduced compared with 3 h (P<0.01), while those in the model group were aggravated compared with 3 h (P<0.01), and there was a significant difference compared with the normal saline group (P<0.01); 24 hours after modeling, the indexes in the normal saline group returned to normal, while the inflammation in the model group continued to worsen; 48-72 hours after modeling, local inflammation such as swelling, skin temperature and abnormal gait reached the peak in the model group; 96~168 h after modeling, the local inflammation of ankle joint in the model group was gradually reduced, but there was still significant difference in all indicators between the model group and the blank group (P<0.01); At 192 h after modeling, the external inflammatory manifestations such as swelling, skin temperature and abnormal gait returned to normal in the model group, while the number of inflammatory cells and pathological changes of synovium were still significantly different from those in the blank group (P<0.01).

  Conclusion: The rat model of AGA can be successfully prepared and identified 4 hours after the establishment of the model by injecting MSU crystal suspension into the ankle joint cavity, and it can be maintained at least until 168 hours after the establishment of the model.