Treatment groups
Prior to start of study, the volumes of the foot pads on the left and right hind limbs of the rats were
measured using a plethysmometer (TK-101, UNICOM). The volume of the foot pad is one of the markers
of the conjugated inflammatory symptoms. Rats were randomized into 1 control and 3 treatment groups
by stratification based on the volume of the right hind paw, each group comprising 10 rats (Table 1).
Bovine type-II collagen (Cosmobio) was dissolved in 0.01 M acetic acid to a concentration of 1.5 mg/
mL and emulsified in an equal volume of Freund’s incomplete adjuvant (Difco). Rats were injected
intradermally with 300 Ag (0.4 mL) of bovine type-II collagen in four to six sites on the dorsal skin of
the rats (Day 0) as previously described (Trentham et al., 1977). After sensitization, rats were fed either
basic food (control), 1.2% GLU admixed with basic food (GLU), 0.8% EOC admixed with basic food