Unossified horn or pilose antler cut from deer, which belong to the Cervidae generally is termed Nokyong. Nokyong is one of the most famous Korean traditional medicines and has been considered to possess sexual-reinforcing and antiaging actions. In this study, water extract of deer antler extract (DAA) prepared from the growing antler of Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe was used to investigate the efficacy of the DAA on the development of type II collagen (CII)-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. Male rats were immunized with an emulsion of 200 microg of CII and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). The rats then were administered by injection a suspension of DAA or phosphate-buffered saline. The effect of DAA on cellular responses to CII was examined. The injection of DAA suppressed the CII-specific secretion of interferon (IFN)-gamma from splenocytes ex vivo. The influence of DAA also was evaluated on the incidence and development of arthritis in rat CIA. Rats were immunized twice at a 3-wk interval with bovine CII, with DAA being given by injection once a d for 14 d with four different regimens. A 14-d course of DAA treatment at a daily dose of 100 microg/kg, which began on the d of the first CII immunization, suppressed the development of arthritis, as well as antibody formation and delayed-type hypersensitivity to CII. Treatment with DAA resulted in inhibition of development of arthritis and immune responses to CII.