Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of Artesunate (Art) on experimental immune myositis (EIM) animal model. Methods Guinea pigs were immunized with rabbit muscle homogenate in Freund's adjuvant, and a generalized myositis fundamentally similar to human polymyositis was established. These animals were divided into two groups: the control group (injected intraperitoneally with normal saline everyday) and the treatment group (injected intraperitoneally with Art everyday). Results The serum levels of CPK, AST and LDH were significantly lower in the treatment group than those in the control group. EMG demonstrated that the treatment group kept improving along with the elapse of time. Histological findings revealed that the damage of muscle in the treatment group was less severe than that of the control group. Conclusion Art is effective in therapy of EIM guinea pigs. The result of this study provides a reliable evidence that Art might be used for the treatment of PM/DM and other immune diseases.

Key words: Artesunate, Polymyositis, Dermatomyositis, Experimental animal