combined nicotine and thymol in ameliorating experimental rheumatoid arthritis

Considering the anti-inflammatory properties of both nicotine and thymol, this study aimed to assess the combined effects of these compounds on clinical manifestations and immune responses in wistar rats with freund s complete adjuvant (fca)-induced ra. the study included 50 male wistar rats, weighing 150 ± 7 g, in whom ra was induced using fca. the rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10): ra rats treated with pbs (100 mg/kg orally), ra rats treated with thymol (100 mg/kg orally), ra rats treated with nicotine (2.5mg/kg-orally), and ra rats treated with a combination of nicotine and thymol (each at half doses orally). all treatments commenced on day seven post-induction (p.i.), once all rats exhibited a clinical score of ≥1. clinical symptoms were monitored every other day until day 23 p.i. the data indicated that the combination therapy reduced disease severity and improved weight gain more effectively than either agent alone. furthermore, the combination therapy led to a more significant reduction in certain hematological and biochemical parameters associated with ra, including rheumatoid factor, c-reactive protein, nitric oxide, myeloperoxidase, il-1, and il-17, compared to individual treatments. notably, the combination therapy with half doses of nicotine and thymol did not show any synergistic advantage in terms of anti-proliferation effect, and consequently, immunosuppression side effects were not exacerbated compared to using each agent separately. combined nicotine and thymol may represent a valuable approach for managing ra.