Abstract

CARBAJAL QUINTANA, Daisy et al. Effects of policosanol on carrageenan-induced pleurisy and cotton pellet granuloma models. Rev Cubana Farm [online]. 2013, vol.47, n.4, pp.492-501. ISSN 0034-7515.

Introduction: policosanol, a mixture of higher aliphatic alcohols purified from sugarcane wax, inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) activity in vitro, an effect that could support its anti-platelet action. Its putative effects on experimental models of inflammation had not been yet investigated. Objective: to determine the in vivo effect of policosanol on acute (carrageenan-induced pleurisy) and chronic inflammation (cotton-pellet granuloma) in vivo models. Methods: in the acute model, rats were randomly distributed into seven groups: a negative vehicle control, and six with carrageenan-induced pleurisy: a positive control (vehicle), four treated with policosanol (50-800 mg/kg) and one with aspirin (100 mg/kg). Five hours later, volume of pleural exudate, protein concentration and myeloperoxidase activity were quantified. For the chronic model, rats were distributed into six groups: a control (vehicle), four treated with policosanol (50-800 mg/kg) and one group with aspirin (100 mg/kg). The cotton pellet was implanted and six days after treatment, it was extracted to determine the dry and the wet weights. Results: single oral doses of policosanol (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) reduced significantly and moderately the volume (» 20 %), the myeloperoxidase activity (» 12 %) and the protein concentration (» 20 %) in pleural exudates, whereas aspirin 100 mg/kg decreased significantly these indicators by 35.3, 19.9 and 19.1 %, respectively. Oral administration of policosanol (400 and 800 mg/kg) for 6 days reduced significantly and moderately the wet (16.4 and 16.2 %, respectively) and dry (28.4 and 34.4 %, respectively) granuloma weights. Treatment with 100 mg/kg aspirin reduced these variables by 18.5 % (wet weight) and 34.4 % (dry weight), respectively. Both treatments reduced the dry more than the wet granuloma weight. Conclusion: oral administration of policosanol produced a moderate anti-inflammatory effect in vivo on models of acute and chronic inflammation.

Keywords : policosanol; granuloma; pleurisy; carrageenan; myeloperoxidase.

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