Regulation of murine arthritis by systemic, spinal, and intra-articular adrenoceptors.

Background: The regulation of the immune system by the sympathetic nervous system is allowing the design of novel treatments for inflammatory disorders such as arthritis. In this study, we have analyzed the effects of α- and β-adrenoceptor agonists injected subcutaneously, intrathecally, or intra-articularly in zymosan-induced arthritis.

Methods: Murine arthritis was induced by intra-articular (knee joint) injection of zymosan.