Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Feb;47(2):172-5.
doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kem344. Epub 2008 Jan 3.

Effectiveness of etanercept in bleomycin-induced experimental scleroderma

S S Koca  1 , A Isik, I H Ozercan, B Ustundag, B Evren, K Metin
Affiliations

Effectiveness of etanercept in bleomycin-induced experimental scleroderma

S S Koca et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2008 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of etanercept and thalidomide in the mouse model of bleomycin-induced scleroderma (BLM-IS).

Methods: This study involved four groups (n = 8 mice in each group). Dermal sclerosis was induced by repeated subcutaneous injections of BLM (10 microg) for 4 weeks in BALB/c mice. Control group received only phosphate-buffered saline. The second group received only BLM; the third and fourth groups were also given an intraperitoneal injection of 100 microg etanercept or 150 mg/kg thalidomide, respectively.

Results: BLM increased serum TGF-beta1, tissue hydroxyproline levels and expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and dermal fibrosis was histopathologically prominent. Although thalidomide had no significant effect, etanercept caused decreases in levels of serum TGF-beta1, tissue hydroxyproline and number of alpha-SMA-positive cells.

Conclusion: Inhibition of TNF-alpha with etanercept in BLM-IS was resulted in a significant reduction of the dermal sclerosis, collagen accumulation and the number of infiltrating myofibroblastic cells. TNF-alpha may play a key role in the progression of BLM-IS and TNF-alpha antagonists may be useful in the management of scleroderma.

PubMed Disclaimer