Table 1.
Effect of glucocorticoids on physiological and biological parameters
| Vehicle | GC‐LD | GC‐HD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBP (mm Hg) | 101 ± 4 | 102 ± 4 | 115 ± 4* |
| DBP (mm Hg) | 65 ± 4 | 64 ± 4 | 79 ± 3* |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 225 ± 13 | 229 ± 12 | 218 ± 8 |
| Total cholesterol (g/l) | 0·89 ± 0·03 | 0·80 ± 0·01* | 0·77 ± 0·03** |
| Triglycerides (g/l) | 0·56 ± 0·05 | 0·57 ± 0·05 | 0·95 ± 0·09*** |
| Blood glucose (g/l) | 1·04 ± 0·03 | 1·10 ± 0·05 | 1·10 ± 0·04 |
| TNF‐α (pg/ml) | 28·9 ± 7·0 | 7·2 ± 2·4* | 8·7 ± 3·2* |
| IL‐1β (pg/ml) | 67·2 ± 14·7 | 16·3 ± 5·2* | 21·3 ± 6·8* |
*P < 0·05; **P < 0·01; ***P < 0·001. SBP = systolic blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; MAP = mean arterial blood pressure; TNF = tumour necrosis factor; IL = interleukin; GC‐HD = glucocorticoids high dose; GC‐LD = GC low dose. All parameters were measured in adjuvant‐induced arthritis (AIA) rats at day 33 post‐immunization after 21 days of treatment (intraperitoneally) with saline (vehicle) or prednisolone at a low dose (0·1 mg/kg/day, GC‐LD) or a high dose (10 mg/kg/day, GC‐HD). Values are expressed as means ± standard error of the mean (n = 10–20 rats per group).