ANTIINFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF BUCILLAMINE ON CARRAGEENAN-INDUCED COLITISIN THE RABBIT

pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis still remains obscure. In this stud y, the effect of buciliamine, an antirheumatic agent in wide use, on c arrageenan-induced colitis in the rabbit was studied to explore the po ssibility of this agent as a new remedy for ulcerative colitis in man. Experimental colitis was induced by the authors' method including a s ensitizing process. Histological specimens were prepared by the conven tional method. The inflammatory changes of the colonic mucosa were eva luated according to the authors' criteria using point scores. The carr ageenan-induced colonic mucosal lesions were significantly inhibited b y 100 and 300 mg/kg/day of bucillamine. The present observations encou raged the authors to assess its clinical efficacy against ulcerative c olitis, although it must be pointed out that blood urea nitrogen excee ded the upper normal limit in the bucillamine-treated animals as well as in the untreated controls.