Figure 1.

Schematic representation of the experimental design for the time course study in the reactivation model of streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis in Lewis (LEW/N) rats. The inflammatory response is represented as the change in ankle diameter (mm) relative to the starting diameter. Data are expressed as means ± standard error (four to five animals/group). Intra-articular (i.a.) injection of SCW resulted in increased ankle swelling that peaked 24 hours after injection (day -13) followed by a gradual reduction by day 0. At this time point, intravenous (i.v.) challenge with SCW led to reactivation of the inflammatory response, which peaked 72 hours thereafter (day 3). Animals injected with a suspension of SCW (continuous line) in PBS or with PBS alone (dashed line; five animals/group) were killed on the days indicated, and joints taken and processed for gene expression profiling analysis and mRNA quantification by GeneChip^® microarray and real-time RT-PCR TaqMan^®, respectively. A group of naïve noninjected animals (n = 4) was also included in the study to assess basal expression levels of the analyzed genes.