Objective:

The immunological characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have led to the use of a wide range of immunosuppressive agents in its treatment procedure; however, the available treatments tend to be merely alleviative in many cases. In this respect, this study attempts to assess the therapeutic potential of the nutrition bio-shield (NBS) supplement, which has inhibitory effects on lymphocytes in the treatment of RA.

Materials and Methods:

In this study, 25 male Wistar rats were induced by RA using Freud’s complete adjuvant. Out of these rates, 15 were orally treated by NBS supplement at relevant concentrations (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) for 30 days. Then, blood samples were obtained from all the cases in order to evaluate the serum levels of rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Results:

Obtained results indicated that when rats were treated with the supplement, the serum levels of ESR and CRP, i.e. two indicators of the inflammatory responses, significantly declined compared to the control group. Noticeably, it was found that the supplement successfully restored the level of RF to the normal level in all of the treated rats, with the maximal effects observed at 50 mg/kg (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Altogether, this study proposed that the NBS supplement could restore blood RF to the normal level and eliminate the symptoms of RA in the animal models. As a suggestion, this supplement could be integrated into the treatment protocol of RA; however, further analysis is required to check its therapeutic value.

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