Evaluation of the effect of andrographolide and methotrexate combined therapy in complete Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis with reduced hepatotoxicity.

Objective: Methotrexate is one of the most widely used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The hepatotoxicity of methotrexate resulted in poor compliance with therapy. The current study was designed to analyse the combined therapy of andrographolide (AD) and methotrexate (MTX) for complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis, focusing on hepatoprotective effects, oxidative stress and arthritic-related cytokines.