This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY).
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effect of dexamethasone on plasma C-reactive protein concentrations in rats with arthrosis combined with obesity
1 Scientific and Diagnostic Center "Polyclinic on Smolenskaya", Moscow, Russia
2 MEDSI Clinic, Clinical Hospital No. 1, Krasnogorsk, Russia
3 St. Luke Lugansk State Medical University, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Aleksey S. Ivanov
Stolyarny pereulok, 7, str. 2, Moscow, 123022, Russia; ur.liam@5891golotamvartahsas
Author contribution: Ivanov AS — study planning and design, literature review, experimental procedure; Tananakina TP — study planning and design, experimental procedure, research support, manuscript writing; Kashchenko SA — scientific editing, advice on the experimental procedure, manuscript writing; Pogorelova IA — calculation of results, drug dose selection and titration, advice on animal handling; Alexandrov IA — experimental animal handling, drug administration, blood sampling for analysis, contribution to withdrawal of animals from the experiment.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study approved by the Ethics Committee of the St. Luke Lugansk State Medical University (protocol No. 2 dated September 23, 2025) was fully compliant with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Board "Guidelines for the Use of Laboratory (Experimental) Animals in Preclinical (NonClinical) Studies" dated November 14, 2023, No. 33, principles of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes, s well as the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union on the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes.
Changes in the ratio of the C-reactive protein (CRP) pentameric (anti-inflammatory) and (monomeric) isoforms during treatment of combined metabolic disorders with glucocorticoids are still poorly understood. The study aimed to assess plasma concentrations of CRP and its isoforms (pentameric and monomeric) in rats with obesity combined with arthrosis. The experiment involved 180 male Wistar rats (n = 180; 8–10 weeks, 200–250 g) randomized into five groups (n = 36). The first one represented the control; obesity and arthrosis were simulated in groups II–V. Groups I and II were administered 1.0 mL of saline; groups III–V were administered 1, 10, 100 ng/mL of dexamethasone daily for 10 days; concentrations of CRP and its isoforms (pentameric and monomeric) were assessed by ELISA on days 3, 5, and 10. Calculation was performed using the Statistica 10.0 software; the data were presented as M ± SD with 95% confidence intervals, with p < 0.05. The increase in CRP levels was reported in group (arthrosis + obesity): by 2.1% on day 3, 26.4% on day 5, 174.5% by day 10 (p < 0.001) relative to the control (group I). Dexamethasone 1 and 10 ng/mL reduced inflammation on day 3 (CRP levels decreased by 7.9% and 26.1%, respectively (p < 0.05)); CRP levels increased by 231.6% and 152.3% by day 10 (p < 0.001). The dose of 100 ng/mL reduced CRP levels by 9.5% on day 5, showing the increase by 149.0% on day 10; p < 0.001. In group II, the mCRP concentration increased by 287.1% by day 10, and in groups III, IV, and V it increased by 360.2%, 270.9%, and 280.6%, respectively (p < 0.001). The nCRP concentration decreased by day 10 in groups II and V (by 25.7% and 18.1%; p < 0.05). No deaths or adverse reactions were reported. Conclusions: dexamethasone 1 and 10 ng/mL reduces the CRP concentration throughout 3 days, and the dose of 100 ng/mL up to 5 days with the development of resistance and the increase in total and monomeric CRP levels on day 10.
Keywords: inflammation, rats, C-reactive protein, obesity, dexamethasone, arthrosis