Background: Gouty arthritis (GA) affects joints due to the body losing its ability to metabolize uric acid. Loratadine is an antihistamine drug that shows promise as an anti-inflammatory drug.
Purpose: Evaluation of the possible anti-inflammatory activity of loratadine in acute gouty arthritis in rats.
Methodology: 40 rats randomly divided into 4 equal groups: Group 1 received intra-articular injection (IA) of phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Group 2 received IA of Mono urate crystals (MUC) 0.25 mg/ml. Group 3 received single dose of ibuprofen (20 mg/kg) orally 2 hours before induction of acute GA. Group 4 received a single dose of loratadine orally (10mg/ kg), 2 hours before induction of GA. Ankle diameter was assessed at 0 time, 6h, 12 h, 24 h, 48h and 72 h (after injection). Blood samples and serum were used for C- reactive protein (CRP) level assessment. Results: A significant decrease in ankle diameter in the group treated with loratadine compared to other groups. Repeated measures of ankle diameter after IA MUC; shows highly significant increase. CRP level was significantly decreased among the group treated by ibuprofen and loratadine versus MUC group. Conclusions: loratadine has a significant anti-inflammatory effect compared to ibuprofen in MUC-induced acute gouty arthritis in rats.